Pentecost Drive

Description

The Pentecost Drive means that children are being driven around Vollenhove on decorated farm wagons.

Every year, in March, 15 drivers, farmers as well as citizens, are asked to join in with the Pentecost Drive. On Whit Monday, at 10 a.m., 200 to 250 children gather for this purpose with their parents at the Burght, a multifunctional centre, in Vollenhove. Here the children and some parents to accompany the youngest, climb the farm wagons decorated with garlands and balloons and secured with fences, in order to go through the Land of Vollenhove in a colourful parade of 12 to 15 wagons.

Through social media and local newspapers all children have been invited for this event, about two weeks before.

There are 2 stops on the way: at the first stop the children get sweets and the drivers and parents coffee, and at the second stop everyone gets a glass of lemonade. As everyone returns to the Burght after two and a half hours, the children are treated to ice-cream.

The parade is opened by the chairman and closed off by the vice-chairman of the Vollenhoofse Vereniging voor Volksvermaken (Vollenhove Association for Popular Entertainment). Along the route many enthusiastic parents and grandparents wave at the children each year. In recent years a growing group of parents have been joining the parade at the tail, on bicycles.

Community

The Pentecost Drive is organised by the Vollenhoofse Vereniging voor Volksvermaken. Altogether between 200 and 250 children from Vollenhove and surrounding areas annually participate, including camping guests.

The drive is accompanied by a group of volunteers, consisting of drivers, traffic controllers, board members, the dahlia queen and princess and catering volunteers.

Along the route some 400 spectators and parents are waving at the parade.

History

In the past a round tour was organised around Pentecoste, with freshly painted farm wagons, pulled by horses. Young people between 18 and 25 were engaged to beg for fertility over the crop. This happened at various places in the Netherlands and has almost vanished everywhere now. The first notes on this non-clerical Pentecoste feast, which is the origin of the Pentecoste Drive, date back to the 15^th century. Whether the tradition has been practiced this long in Vollehove as well, is unknown. It is, however, certain that the Pentacoste Drive has been practiced in Vollenhove for a long time already. Over the years the horses have been replaced with tractors and the Pentecoste Drive has been getting its current form.

At the end of the sixties the Vollenhoofse Vereniging voor Volksvermaken took up the organisation of the Pentecost Drive because of threatening extinction.

Meanwhile an average of 12 farm wagons with more than 200 children drive through the Land of Vollenhove every year.

Due to lack of documentation, not much is known about how and with how many wagons the Drive took place before the sixties.

Safeguarding