Editing Zundert (section)

== Flower parade ==
[[File:Bloemencorso Zundert 2002 - Moeders kroost.jpg|thumb|Winner 'Moederskroost' by Klein-Zundertse Heikant, Bloemencorso Zundert in 2002|alt=]]
[[File:Bloemencorso Zundert 2008 - Booming City 2.jpg|left|thumb|Winner 'Booming City' by Helpt Elkander, Bloemencorso Zundert in 2008|258x258px]]
[[Bloemencorso Zundert]] was first held in 1936, in honor of then-queen [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]], making it the oldest hugely elaborate flower [[parade]] in Europe. Every year, the parade commences on the first Sunday of September with the floats remaining on show for the subsequent Monday (considered a holiday by the inhabitants). On Tuesday, starting early in the morning, the floats are destroyed. It is the largest flower parade in the world. The number of visitors can reach up to 50.000 people annually. Huge, impressive lorry mounted sculptures covered in thousands of [[dahlia]] flowers parade through the town. Limitations on the size and maximum dimensions of the floats were first defined in 1989, ensuring safe passage of the parade through the streets of Zundert. Considered an honour by the people of Zundert, the floats are typically pushed by volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ontdek ons Corso - Corso Zundert|url=http://verhaal.corsozundert.nl/|access-date=2022-02-21|website=Corso Zundert verhaal}}</ref>  

There are twenty hamlets competing in Bloemencorso Zundert, each of them constructing their own entry. They are entirely made up of volunteers. The twenty heralds are credited with having their own culture, identity, flag and dahlia fields in and around the municipality, used to decorate the floats for the parade. Collectively, this amounts to about 33 hectares with 600.000 dahlia plants in 50 different colours and varieties.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Information {{!}} Bloemencommissie Zundert|url=https://www.bloemencommissie.nl/en/information/|access-date=2022-02-21|language=en-GB}}</ref> The members of each hamlet plant and pick the flowers themselves, cultivating around 6 million dahlias in Zundert of the total of 8 million dahlias needed for the entire Corso each year. Where needed, the Bloemencorso Zundert relies on other Flower Parades and a few professional growers to fill up shortages of flowers.<ref name=":0" />

On 13 October 2012, the Bloemencorso Zundert became the first Dutch tradition on the national inventory of the [[UNESCO]] Convention for the Protection of [[Intangible cultural heritage|Intangible Cultural Heritage]], ratified by the Netherlands on 15 May 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bloemencorso Zundert|url=http://www.immaterieelerfgoed.nl/nl/bloemencorsozundert|access-date=2022-02-22|website=Immaterieel Erfgoed|language=nl}}</ref> This ratification was publicly announced by [[Secretary of state|State Secretary]] [[Halbe Zijlstra]] during the parade on 2 September 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-09-02|title=Nederland beschermt voortaan ook tradities|url=https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/2899240/nederland-beschermt-voortaan-tradities.html|access-date=2022-02-22|website=NU|language=nl}}</ref>

The Bloemencorso Zundert was cancelled in 2020 due to the global [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the first time since the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Van Wolffelaar|first=Ralph|date=2020-03-31|title=Anderhalf jaar wachten op het volgende Corso Zundert: gelukkig hebben we de foto's nog|url=https://www.bndestem.nl/breda/anderhalf-jaar-wachten-op-het-volgende-corso-zundert-gelukkig-hebben-we-de-foto-s-nog~a23b09be/?referrer=https://www.google.com/|access-date=2020-08-18|website=BNDeStem}}</ref> In 2022, the flower parade commenced on 4 September.