Hof der dingen - Clacking through carnival

“With so much pressure in daily life, it can be wonderfully freeing to just let go. Whether you have rhythm or not—just join in and enjoy it…” 

With these powerful words, Mirjam Van der Mast invites everyone to experience Heist Carnival. She is especially proud to have become the very first empress of Heist Carnival in 2022. And Heist Carnival? You always celebrate it with a klakker. 

A klakker is a typical object from this coastal town—a handmade contraption with two short wooden boards on either side, which you clack in time with the music during the festivities. 

“The two wooden boards are best held together with a metal wire. A piece of string works too— but it usually doesn’t survive the night…” 

And where does the klakker come from? Legend has it that in 1421 the English tried to sail up the Scheldt, only to be stopped by local fishing boats. Then a storm blew in, and many English ships were lost. That night, the people of Heist heard the clattering of the masts and believed the sea devil himself had come ashore… 

Five hundred years later, Heist carpenter Camiel Warnez created the klakker to commemorate this historic event. Ever since, it has been the symbol of a carefree carnival for every party-loving resident of Heist and far beyond.