The Easter customs consist of four parts
1 Palm Easter procession: 800 to 1000 children are walking along with the parade, thousands of people are watching on the side.
2 Egg hunt or 'eierkulen' takes place on Easter Sunday on the so-called 'Kuulbargien' on Hellendoornse Berg.
3 The Easter fire, 'n boaken', Easter Sunday at 8.30 pm is lit by one of the oldest inhabitants of the village. Every year thousands of people come to enjoy the game of the flames.
4 As a conclusion to the Easter customs, the Hellendoorn Harmony passes through the village early in the morning on Ascension Day to call the villagers in a musical way to go for the Early Morning Walk.
Together with a large group of volunteers, the Oald Heldern De Noaberschop foundation annually organizes the various Easter customs in Hellendoorn. The village has approximately 6,000 inhabitants, a large part of whom are involved in one of the activities.
The Palm Sunday parade is an old tradition that has been going on since the fifties of the last century is organized by the Noaberschop. That the 'eierkulen' is one of the old Easter traditions is evident from the various 'kuulbargies' in the municipality (mounds where this custom took place). The return of light and spring was celebrated with the great fire at Easter. With the charcoal from the fire, the face was blackened and it was taken home as a repellent against fire and lightning.
The Early Morning Walk on Ascension Day is a tradition that has been practiced in (mostly small) groups for years.
