{"id":141629,"date":"2020-01-01T10:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/new-years-eve-day\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T10:18:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T08:18:04","slug":"new-years-eve-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/en\/culture-sports\/customs-traditions\/new-years-eve-day\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year’s Eve & Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In 1937, G.H. Rots described in a series of articles how things were in Aalten in former times. Regarding New Year’s Eve and Day, he wrote: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Towards the end of the year, one could see two men walking with a large ‘arm basket’, going from house to house in the village. They were the night watchmen selling almanacs<\/a>. Not a single household was without an almanac, especially the Zutphen almanac. By offering and selling the almanacs, the night watchmen simultaneously provided the residents with the opportunity to give an unsolicited contribution for the guarding of their property at night. Depending on the financial means of the residents, the aforementioned literature was paid for above the asking price.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Year’s Eve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“Then came New Year’s Eve. The caf\u00e9s had permission to stay open until one o’clock in the morning. The transition from the old to the new year was then celebrated in these establishments, mainly by the local youth. Once the clock had struck twelve, the night watchmen<\/a> began to deliver their New Year’s wishes. They started with the municipal secretary. A song was sung during this process. The rounds were made to several notables and caf\u00e9 owners. It goes without saying that the night watchmen were followed by a large group of curious onlookers, who diligently sang along… and there were free drinks.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now the song that the Night Watch and their followers sang on New Year’s Eve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The old year has now passed by,The new has now arrived.So I wish you with a joyful heart,And you, and all the pious:A new spirit in the new yearAnd a pious life together,So let us praise God here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many began the previous yearIn good health with us,Who have indeed through deathSpun out their thread of life.They live in eternity,Life is still prepared for us,So let us now praise God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is God who brought forth the light,Who makes the sun and moon rise,To show us the passage of day and night,And month and year.Let us for the past yearWith thanks to the Supreme Blesser,Praise the God of ages.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Gelukzaolig
Illustration: Piet te Lintum<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The first two stanzas were original creations. The third is from the Evangelical Hymns no. 159 verse 1. Verse 3 of that hymn was also occasionally sung. <\/p>\n\n

One can imagine that these New Year’s greetings on New Year’s Night took quite some time, and the solemnity of it likely faded, especially towards the end of the rounds, particularly as the sound of spirits played the leading role. But for the elderly, the memory of this event is not lost. Especially when reading these articles, the old incidents are recalled and discussed once more, and many look back with nostalgia to the days of yore, remembering, during sleepless nights or when watching over the sick or injured in the quiet of the living room, the monotonous step of the man who traversed Aalten’s streets: “Hark, there is the night watchman!” <\/p>\n\n

“On New Year’s Day, the youth were active again. They and the poorer folk went from house to house to wish people a Happy New Year. One can understand that the population was glad when noon arrived, as it was no longer applicable after that. The downside of all this was that King Alcohol swayed his scepter on those days. In the numerous caf\u00e9s and taverns, many sacrifices were made to that monarch. Gin was cheap. There were several gin distilleries or ‘branderijen’ in Aalten. Four of these distilleries can still be named. It is no wonder, then, that the use of strong spirits was prevalent on almost all occasions.”<\/p>\n\n

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Carbide Shooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In parts of the eastern Netherlands, including Aalten, it is a tradition to shoot carbide on New Year’s Eve. A small amount of carbide (calcium carbide) is placed in a milk churn, paint tin, or modified gas cylinder, water or saliva is added, and the churn is sealed with a (plastic) ball. Ethyne gas forms, and after waiting about 30 seconds, the gas is ignited through a small touch-hole (or with a spark plug). The gas explodes with a booming bang, launching the ball out of the churn, where it can land dozens of meters away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of carbide shooting is not well known. The tradition may date back to Germanic Yule festivals. In the 19th century, it was customary in both rural and urban areas to make noise on special days. Carbide shooting likely evolved from this practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before acetylene gas was available in cylinders, most village blacksmiths used carbide for welding. It was therefore easy to obtain. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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