The Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in the Netherlands contains ICH of which the communities, groups or individuals involved have written a safeguarding plan. Those plans are reviewed by an independent review committee. Every three years an evaluation of the safeguarding takes place.

Description

Every year, on Whit Sunday, around a hundred whit brides dance in Borne. Folklore group Borne organises the activities. On the Friday prior to Pentecost eight to ten arches, later on carried by the brides, and a large whit crown with a diameter of 2 yards, are decorated with fresh fir green. On Saturday morning the girls practise the traditional song ‘Rosa, Rosa, flowers on your hat’ and the associated circle dance. The girls are divided into eight to ten groups. Of every group one girl is selected as Rosa. She gets a special long, white dress on loan and plays a major role in the dance and the song. On the morning of Whit Sunday, fresh flowers are inserted in the arches and the crown. At 10 AM the groups of brides depart from various sites in Borne for their tour to the central Dorset Square. In every group an arch is carried by two girls. There are regular stops on the way for dancing and singing. The girls then first ring the bells of houses in the direct surroundings to invite people to come and watch. The spectators give sweets or change to the brides after the performance.

 

Community

The Folklore Group Borne is in charge of organisation. Not only the brides and their parents are active for the tradition, but hundreds of people from Borne. The tradition also attracts tourists each year. The primary schools are closely involved, scouting group St. Stephanus Martina and Fanfare and Mallet band St. Gregorius from Hertme as well. Entrepreneurs from Borne make flowers and other materials available.

 

 

History

Pentecost is regularly linked to the arrival of spring. The fresh green, the flowers and the blown out eggs in the whit crown, symbolise new life and fertility. The election of the whit flower or whit bride occurred in other areas as well in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Marriageable boys chose a bride from the unmarried girls in the community and decorated her with flowers and a crown. The history of the whit brides in Borne is surely at least three quarters of a century old. There are photographs of whit brides from before World War II. The Catholic parishes and scouting kept playing a role in recruiting brides up to the nineties. As of 1980 the Folklore Group Borne organises the performance. Over the last twenty years the primary schools are also closely involved in recruiting the brides. The routes that are followed, change regularly these last years. Districts with much participation and new residential areas are taken into account. Recently there is more attention for the residents of the local retirement and nursing home.

 

Contact

Folkloregroep Borne
Aster 2
7621 AJ
Borne
Website