Dutch carnaval through ex-pat colored glasses!

You know spring is coming in the south of The Netherlands but not because of the crocuses painting the roadsides in the city, or the heightened chatter of the garden birds but because of the strange actions of the locals. The weekend before Lent people start to change their dress style from the typical dark jackets and boots to, um, tiger outfits, pink tutus, super-heroes and neon onesies. Then the town and city names change, for example s'Hertogenbosch becomes Oeteldonk (Frog Hill). What on earth is going on, a stranger would think as he steps off a train into a crowd of singing, flamboyant, crazily-dressed Dutch people? Yes, it's carnaval!!

Oeteldonk (Den Bosch) centraal station 

Dutch carnaval, or vastenavond, is traditionally celebrated in the catholic south from the Sunday before Lent for three days, although the Dutch ever ready for an excuse to party usually start on the Friday. On Sunday the keys of the city or town are handed over to the carnaval prince and he rules! Den Bosch is the home of the original carnaval, begun in the 14th century but the tradition lay dormant for many years and was reinvigorated after WWII, after all they had suffered under Nazi rule for five years, an annual party was well deserved.


Is carnaval like Rio de Janeiro's carnival or Venice's carnavale?  Sort of, but done in typical  Dutch style and without the masks, bikinis and feathered headdresses. Here its more fancy dress, from the bizarre to the clever with the added necessity of thermal underwear and a rain coat! Everyone, and I mean young and old, dress up and standing in the train station yesterday was like being transported to an alternate universe! Believe me I have felt the odd one out in fancy dress before but never because I wasn't in fancy dress! The costumes are loud and colorful and usually involve a neon wig, although some are incredibly detailed and clever.

The main event is the parade with some crazy looking floats, that groups have spent months preparing. I am not sure of the background of the characters but they all seem to have an almost cartoon like appearance and are motorized and enormous, and, I believe, some make political comments or poke fun at city powers. It's quite something watching them negotiating some of the tinier cobbled streets in the smaller towns. Along with the floats you also have marching bands, some of whom seem to strive to be loud but musically challenged and, of course, you have people handing out shots of jenever, Dutch gin!

Now at risk of alienating my Dutch friends I have to warn you about carnaval music. It is truly dreadful, with its "oompah" beat and "la la la's" often accompanied with an accordion and is often a recognized pop song with it's lyrics adapted, or one full of sentimental lyrics that everyone knows, loves and sings along to. Despite its lack of panache there is something rather endearing hearing a crowd of Dutch, young and old, singing along with gusto....and if you don't know the words just sing la la la...they'll never know!

http://youtu.be/bsdunw27ERc

Of course with partying comes drinking and there is plenty of that! Every bar in the city is opened and extended to allow more people in, and the partying goes on all night. It's not just the young it's the young at heart, as you will often see a 70 year old knocking back a shot or two dressed in carnaval uniform with patches from every parade he or she has attended, stood next to two giggling young girls dressed in neon wigs and feather boas. 

Of course with party revelers comes problems. Crime in the larger cities is increased on this weekend as as much as 71% of the revelers in the carnaval cities were out-of-towners from the north, according to a local paper. It is a great opportunity after all, who's going to stop a guy dressed as a burglar carrying a sack of swag! 

The drinking goes on, visiting pub to pub until the revelers stagger home, either with or without their bicycle and the streets turn quiet in the early hours of the morning, with only the rustling of the forgotten paper coils and the rattling of empty Bavarian beer cans. The confetti blows listlessly along the streets awaiting the street cleaners and, surely somewhere, is used to line the nests of other residents celebrating the arrival of spring.