Today, pinksterdag is primarily seen by many as a nice long weekend. Many internationals also state that the month of May is their favourite month of the year, as it has more holidays than any other month in the Dutch holiday calendar. Nowadays, its celebrated with lots of pleasant outdoor activities, due to the friendly weather conditions. One such celebration in the region is the pinksterrit in Valkenswaard, which harkens back to the pre-automobile era of horse-drawn carriages.
The tradition
For Christians, pinksterdag is an important holiday. ‘Pinksterdag’ is also known as ‘Pentecost’ coming from the Greek word ‘pentakosta’ meaning fiftieth. This celebrates the 50th day after easter. Ten days ago, you may recall a day off for the self-explanatory holiday of Hemelvaart, when Jesus ascended to heaven, after spreading God’s message. He left behind his anxious and confused disciples, the apostles. Relief comes to them on this day with the Holy Spirit, often symbolized by a dove, coming to their aid. The apostles then regain courage to carry out their mission of spreading God’s word. This marks the beginning of the Christian church.
Tweede Pinksterdag
No, the Holy spirit did not descend twice. Instead, the Christian church awarded a second day for relaxation and time with family, after the Sunday in Church on the ‘first’ or eerste Pinksterdag. Hence the second or ‘tweede’ Pinksterdag, for this celebration.
Pinksterrit Valkenswaard
At the ‘pinksterrit’ event in Valkenswaard, modernity took a pause between 10 a.m. and noon, a procession of up to 40 horse-drawn carriages taking us back over a 100 years. The event took place at the Market Square in Valkenswaard. The carriage riders were adorned in ostentatious clothing from a bygone era. Moreover, the carriages and harnesses were polished to gleaming. The horses were brushed to a such a glossy sheen that any princess would be proud to ride on them. A cold fountain, enabled people to keep cool. The many restaurants surrounding the square, which also partially sponsored the event, had their patios full of visitors downing something cold to stay cool in the warm weather. Large crowds, with people of all ages, showed up, had gathered to enjoy this display, bringing in a festive atmosphere on this festival Sunday.
It is impressive that so many riders maintain the know-how on how to ride, as well as maintain this carriages. Furthermore, this event is seen as pre-selection for the Dutch Traditional Driving Championship (Nederlands kampioenschap Traditioneel Gerij). A professional gave detailed explanations of the different carriage types, harnesses, and clothing. Thus, the participants could then give a rating based on these criteria.
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