Campus

Evening of lights

What started as an attempt to attract customers for Christmas shopping has grown into one of the biggest events of the year in Delft. We spoke to one of the creators of the Evening of Lights, which will take place this Tuesday.

'Lichtjesavond' is one of the busiest nights in Delft. (Photo: Hans Stakelbeek)

In other cities it’s just a regular Tuesday night, but in Delft, one of the best parties of the year is about to happen. Lichtjesavond, or Evening of Lights, is like Kings Day in winter. Streets are packed with parents and children, youngsters on their own, students, the elderly in wheelchairs … All kinds of people wander through the streets where they can buy unique handmade arts and craft gifts at the traditional Christmas Market. They warm up besides one of the campfires with a gluhwein or a hot chocolate, while one of the choirs sings Christmas songs or a band plays. At 19:00, the mayor lights the candles of the huge Christmas tree at the market square where it all started back in 1998. 


There are free short theatre plays, lots of live music, a biergarten innovative projects around the theme ‘Light’


“At first, the municipality had a Christmas tree at the market square,” remembers Herman Weyers, one of the creators of the Evening of Lights. He stopped working on the Evening of Lights two years ago, but the event continues. He is now the director of the Vermeer Centrum. “The municipality then stopped having a tree, but the entrepreneurs of the city continued the new tradition. Up to one hundred people would come to see the lighting of the Christmas tree. Joost Verhoef, Jan van Dalen and I dreamed up the Dark Days, an event to organise more activities around Sinterklaas and Christmas. To kick off the Dark Days, we thought of having a special night when the tree would be lit – the Evening of Lights.”


Random Tuesday


But why is this all happening on a Tuesday? “There is the weekly market on Thursdays,” Weyers says. “We tried a Friday and Saturday, but people have other activities on those days. We ended up with a Tuesday. We light the tree at 19:00 so you can eat at home and it’s not too late for children. This year there is a special junior programme for children, so the tree is lit at both 17:30 and 19:00.”   


Within four years, the Evening of Lights had attracted around 40,000 people. What started around the market square and the old shopping area, is now spread around the city. There is much more to do than just shopping. For example, there are free short theatre plays at the Rietveld Theatre, lots of live music in the Kromstraat, a biergarten at the Oude Jan and, for the first time this year, High Light.


High Light


Follow the route around Bastiaansplein, where up and coming designers, artists and students show innovative projects around the theme ‘Light’. There is ‘lightning bowling’, for example, with huge tubs of light, created by Koen Fraaijman, former Industrial Engineering student. There is also live painting with light using the TagTool or OMAi app. Or take a look at the double pendulums of the Red Horizon installation which create white light and music while moving in random patterns.


Want to know more about the programme? Look at the website of Dark Days or check the Facebookpage of High Light. 


Roos van Tongeren / Redacteur

Editor Redactie

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