Life in Holland: enero 2009

Aupa/Hola!

The first blog that i am writing just to let you (family and friends of Aitzpea) know what im used to do around christmas.

Normally around the christmas days i am buzy with a big group of guys to prepare a big fire for the 31st, we call this "The Christmastree Hunt"(kerstbomenjacht). There are more groups doing this in Vlaardingen, but they also do it is other city's in The Netherlands. Our group is names MB "Markt Buurt" "Mercado Barrio" This because the weekly market we have in vlaardingen was always held in this neighboorhood.

When we make the fire we start 10 days before the 31st collecting Pallets (wood) and christmastrees. Only this year was different because last year al the windows of 80 houses where broken because of an explosion in de tower that we build last year.

This is what we used to make

So this year it was not allowed to build a big fire like that again, so we had meeting after meeting with the mayor and police. At the end they let us sit for 10 days with a fire on the square but the big fire for the 31st was not allowed.
This is what we do those 10 days(guarding of the tree's 24/7)

The last day looked like this no big tower to put on fire at 00:00

But we rented 4 big vans and filled them up with 120 christmas trees and 80 pallets. At 23:50 we drove the vans on the square and build the fire in 5 minutes.

When the fire went on, everybody was shouting, singing and huging each other of happiness.

Mi Hermanas enjoying the fire.

With all the guys for the pictures

Tio Appie, Alicia y Tio Mart

Calling with Aitzpea at 00:05

El Loco de La Ciudad (Franke)

At the end we had a great fire and a great night, everybody was really happy. And there were at least 300 people that came to see the fire. Thats How we are used to celebrate new year.