Carnaval

In the Netherlands, Carnaval is concentrated in the southern provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. The public celebrations peak from Sunday to Shrove Tuesday, just before Ash Wednesday, though many towns symbolically open the season earlier, on 11 November at 11:11. During the festival, towns often use temporary carnival names: Den Bosch becomes Oeteldonk, Eindhoven becomes Lampegat, Tilburg becomes Kruikenstad, and Breda becomes Kielegat. A mayor may ceremonially hand over the city key to the local Prince Carnaval, who appears at events and leads the mood of the days. In Limburg, many people call the festival Vastelaovend, and everywhere in the south you hear Alaaf.

A Carnaval day often starts in the café or on the square before the optocht, the main parade. In North Brabant, especially in Oeteldonk, many people wear a boerenkiel, a dark work smock covered with patches and medals, with red-white-yellow scarves and rows of badges. Brass bands and hoempa music move through the streets, and groups join the polonaise, the party line danced through bars and tents. Floats joke about local politics, children’s groups pass in costume, and confetti and streamers cover the route. Food is practical and regional: in Limburg you may see nonnevotten, a fried sweet pastry, while in Brabant worstenbroodjes are an easy snack before the evening crowds fill the cafés again.

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