by Charlotte Postma, Netherlands
On May 25, 2024, a grand celebration was held for members of the Dutch Celiac Association (NCV), as the association celebrated its 50th anniversary with a big gluten-free festival.
Every year, the NCV organizes a gluten-free day, usually held in Vianen, but this year it was an even bigger event at the Zwitsal site in Apeldoorn.
The festival had various components, such as a large silent disco, and, of course, a gluten-free market where you could buy products for home as well as treats to eat on the spot. For example, one of the gluten-free food trucks had fresh “kibbeling”, a Dutch fish delicacy.
Sanne and Charlotte from the NCV youth association, Coeliactive, gave a lecture on gluten-free travel, in collaboration with members who had made a big trip through Asia. Charlotte especially wanted to give this lecture because, until a year before, she didn’t know that with the right knowledge, you could travel with celiac disease without having to bring all your food. This lecture on travel was interactive, mainly intended to get people talking and exchanging tips.
In addition to various interesting lectures, there were also games for the children. There was an old Dutch game called ‘sjoelen’, a treasure hunt, cake decorating, and face painting. There were many happy children’s faces, especially at the Coeliactive stand, where they learned that there are about 3,000 children in the Netherlands with celiac disease. The realization that they are not the only child who feels different was very comforting for many children.
An extra highlight of the day was the live-recorded gluten-free podcast. Members could see how a podcast is recorded and hear an interesting story about how the NCV was founded. Chris Mak spoke with three people from the NCV about the 50th anniversary: Aad van Liempt, someone who has been there from the beginning; Charlotte Postma, a board member of the youth association; and Floris van Overveld, the director of the NCV. All three shared their input, thoughts, and knowledge about celiac disease and living with it. A recurring theme in this podcast was ‘fellow sufferers’ and ‘you are not alone’. This was a beautiful realization, supported by all fellow gluten-free people at the festival.
It is safe to say that the gluten-free festival was a great success and, as far as we and our members are concerned, it should be organized more often!