Carnival in the Netherlands
Carnival in the Netherlands (
From an
It precedes the Christian penitential season of Lent. The first day of Carnaval is six weeks before Easter Sunday. Carnival officially begins on Sunday and lasts three days until the start of Lent's first day, Ash Wednesday, at midnight. Nowadays the celebrations often start on Thursday evening though, which makes it in practice a six-day celebration.[1] Many people in modern times do not relate the holiday at all with religion, but its date is still set before the start of the Christian season of Lent.
In the southern part of the Netherlands during Carnival, normal daily life comes to a near stop. Roads are temporarily blocked and many local businesses close for the week because many employees take days off during and after Carnival. According to post-
Name origin
The oldest word which points in the direction of the word "Carnival" is listed on a certificate from the Italian
The origin can be traced to the Latin expression Carne Levare, or Italian Carne lavare or Carnem levare which with reasonable certainty can be translated into "farewell to the flesh" or "taking away the flesh",[4][5] which was a ritual to prelude lent. Two other, less likely, explanations that the term would be a contraction of the Latin Carne (meat) and Paler (rule), literally "the time that meat reigns" and the Italian Carnueale or the French Carne Avalis (both mean so much as "devour flesh") are given as well.[2][6]
Dates
Easter can fall on 22 March at the earliest and on 25 April at the latest. As a result, the earliest possible Carnival is on 1 February, the latest possible date is 9 March.[1]
The official Carnival dates for the coming years are:
- 2021: 14 to 16 February
- 2022: 27 February to 1 March
- 2023: 19 to 21 February
- 2024: 11 to 13 February
- 2025: 2 to 4 March
- 2026: 15 to 17 February
- 2027: 7 to 9 February
- 2028: 27 to 29 February
- 2029: 11 to 13 February
- 2030: 3 to 5 March
- 2031: 23 to 25 February
- 2032: 8 to 10 February
- 2033: 27 February to 1 March
- 2034: 19 to 21 February
- 2035: 4 to 6 February
Origin
Pre-Christian celebrations
Traditionally a Carnival feast was the last opportunity to eat well before the time of food shortage at the end of the winter during which one was limited to the minimum necessary. On what nowadays is called vastenavond (the days before fasting) all the remaining winter stores of lard, butter and meat which were left would be eaten, for it would soon start to rot and decay. The selected livestock had in fact already been slaughtered in November and the meat would be no longer preservable. All the food that had survived the winter had to be eaten to assure that everyone was fed enough to survive until the coming spring would provide new food sources.[1] Traditionally the feast also applied to sexual desires, which were supposed to be suppressed during the following fasting.[1][6]
Several
Tacitus wrote in his Germania:
- Germania 9.6: Ceterum nec cohibere parietibus deos neque in ullam humani oris speciem adsimulare ex magnitudine caelestium arbitrator – "The Germans, however, do not consider it consistent with the grandeur of celestial beings to confine the gods within walls, or to liken them to the form of any human countenance."
- Germania 40: mox vehiculum et vestis et, si credere velis, numen ipsum secreto lacu abluitur – "Afterwards the car, the vestments, and, if you like to believe it, the divinity herself, are purified in a secret lake."[13]
The elaborate rites involving masked figures in the
Also the ritual re-enactment of the
There is evidence that the
Western Roman Empire and Early Middle Ages
While Christian festivals such as
In the Christian tradition the fasting is to commemorate the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the desert according to the
In many Christian sermons and texts, the example of a vessel used to explain Christian doctrine: "the nave of the church of baptism", "the ship of
Many synods and councils attempted to set things "right". The statements of
Pope
It was also the custom during Carnaval that the ruling class would be mocked using masks and disguises.[1][11]
In the year 743 the synod in Leptines (Leptines is located near Binche in Belgium) spoke out furiously against the excesses in the month of February.[11] Also from the same period dates the phrase: "Whoever in February by a variety of less honorable acts tries to drive out winter is not a Christian, but a Pagan." Confession books from around 800 contain more information about how people would dress as an animal or old woman during the festivities in January and February. Noticing that on it was no small penance.[1][11][27]
Gradually the ecclesiastical authority began to realize that the desired result could not be attained by banning the traditions, which eventually led to a degree of Christianization. The festivities became part of the liturgy and the liturgical year.[11]
High and Late Middle Ages
This change of course became more clear when at the synod of Benevento (in 1091) the beginning of lent was definitively established on the day that is called Ash Wednesday by pope Urban II. The duration of the fasting was already set at 40 days after centuries of discussion preceding the council of Nicaea. Carnaval, or rather Shrove Tuesday, was officially accepted by Christianity in 1091 and was followed by Lent (the time of penance and mortification) on Ash Wednesday.[1]
Within the confines of church liturgy, the old ways changed into the "Fools Feast" (Narrenfeest, Fêtes des Fous or Donkey Feast). The main roles were in the beginning played by the clergy of the minor orders, the sub-deacons. This were clerics who were in many cases illiterate and were also the local main baker or butcher. However, during the carnaval they became prominent and played the role of crazy bishop or "donkey pope" as part of the role reversal function of the carnaval.[1]
From
Several popes in the past were explicitly involved with the shrove Tuesday celebration. They organized synods regarding fasting and shrove Tuesday, participated with carts in the processions, and promulgated special collections. Pope Martin V, elected on 11 November 1417, is known to be nicknamed "Papa Carnavale". This was not due to the fact that he was elected on 11 November to be pope, but because he felt that the carnaval didn't last long enough.[1]
Like now the carnaval in the Middle Ages reached the highlight in the three days before the beginning of lent. During this period, the city officially handed over the power to "Prince Carnaval" and the social revolution was complete. Because of the anonymity offered by the costumes, rank and position were no longer important and one could freely express his opinion and mock anything and anyone. In particular, the nobility, clergy and the wealthy citizens were mocked and ridiculed. This tradition is still reflected in contemporary parades and at the Brabantian tonproaten and Limburgish buutereednen, the speakers subjects include mocking and ridiculing the local administration.[1]
The catholic church, being the most powerful and influential organisation at the time, had to suffer most during carnaval. All kinds of sacred traditions and rules were ridiculed during the feast. A
However, in 1445 the church attacked the feast furiously. The theologians in Paris felt that the carnaval was out of control, issued a number of prohibitions and drafted a letter, which included the following:
- The priests wear masks during mass, they dance in the choir dressed as women, matchmakers or minstrels and singing outrageous songs. On the altar they eat black pudding and fat sausages. They roll dices and old shoes are burned instead of incense. Also there is running and jumping by them inside the church. After this mass they go out on the streets in their disguises. With carts and wagons they roam through the city, and give shameless performances to excite the laughter of the audience, which they also further incite with filthy songs and obscene gestures.
The theologians conclude their letter stating that they do not even want to mention the worst things that take place during the carnaval.[1][26]
The role of the lower clergy, however, gradually got taken over by
Later the "feasts of fools" are taken over by urban carnaval associations, such as the
Also early as the Late Middle Ages charivaris occurred during the carnaval more than usual.[29]
The oldest-known Dutch carnaval images date from 1485 in
Early Modern Period
In the sixteenth century, public and massive carnaval celebration from the Middle Ages came to an end. The
Also charivaris, which were folk customs that may already existed before 1600, were more often held around the carnaval time. Like in other European countries, the two main purposes of the charivari in Europe were to facilitate change in the current social structure and to act as a form of censure within the community. The goal was to enforce social standards and to rid the community of socially unacceptable relationships that threatened the stability of the whole. By the charivaris the community would punish and correct fellow citizens by public mocking and humiliation for unwanted behavior like adulterous relationships, men who let themselves be deceived by their wives, men who abused their wives, men who were not dominant in the marriage, widows who wished to remarry, women who wish to marry outside the social group (like a partner from a neighboring village) and other violators of social norms. The victims were subjected to humiliating processions with noise and music through the village, forced to do embarrassing or hard labor or their possessions and house would be marked, damaged and soiled. In the period before the carnaval, groups of men would build a carnaval float, while others painted portraits of promiscuous girls, girls of which the boys / men felt had come to age to get married, or women who behaved "wrongly".[32] Another widespread phenomenon in the south was the Dwaze Maagd van het Jaar (foolish maiden of the year). This girl was chosen because of "bad" behavior: often a maid that was sexually used by her master. A large doll to depict the girl was shown on the Sunday of the carnaval after church. The men sang mocking songs on the town square around the doll. Not just "premarital sexual active" and "adulterous" girls were mocked, also girls could get criticized because of their appearance or language, for turning down suitors, for the extent to which she was kind or kept faithful to her friends.[33] Men would write poetry parodies (often using already existing melodies) about these women. During the carnaval the men would wear masks and go from pub to pub to perform a play and mocking songs, while the paintings were displayed as an illustration.[32] Much more often than in southern European countries like France, the Dutch charivaris showed dissatisfaction towards decisions of the authorities. This kind of "political charivaris" never questioned the authority of the government itself, but were intended to denounce abuse of power and corruption by the government. The heyday of the political charivaris was between 1820 and 1850. In North Brabant there were various forms of community charivaris around carnaval which till 1934 still often occurred.[34]
Only since the beginning of the 19th century, when the Netherlands was under French rule, the carnaval feast started to revive in the south of the Netherlands.[2]
Revival
Some of the best-known traditions, including carnival parades and masquerade balls and masquerading, were recorded in medieval Italy. The
Without denying that the current carnaval contains several recognizable aspects of the past, the feast as it is held today is relatively young. Carnaval as it is known today began in the postwar period. Before that, it was repressed as a result of the strong protestant influence in the country. With the exception of some places in Limburg and North Brabant, where in the nineteenth century the organization of medieval Carnaval celebrations was reviving again, the vast majority of the carnaval associations is established after World War II.[1]
In the 1950s, with a few exceptions, the feast was still confined to the southern provinces of
The upcoming protest generation saw that its desire for looser manners was honored, at least during the Carnaval days. ... Even mild criticism of the political and social system, until then painstakingly smothered by the authorities, suddenly appeared to be possible ...
For most adolescent participants the longing for personal freedom appealed most to them; thus,
Carnaval became to the South, what the Provo was to the North [of the Netherlands]. What actually happened was exactly the opposite of what had happened during the Middle Ages: a new morality was tested, not to investigate what is not allowed, but to investigate what is allowed.
Hence, De Jager believes, Carnaval was one of the developments that gave impetus to the South to more informal manners,
The Carnaval exceeded in the 1970s the border that is formed by "
After the modern feast of carnaval lost the association with Christian religion as a result of the rapid secularization in the Netherlands in the second half of the 20th century, the carnaval became more celebrated in parts of the country which were Protestant by tradition. At the end of the twentieth century there were carnaval associations in all the provinces of the Netherlands which are active in organizing the celebrations.[2] However, in the areas which did not originally celebrate, the feast is still growing to become a tradition. As a result, the carnaval in these parts of the country usually lasts only one day with the emphasis on role dressing and feasting, without the social criticism, parades and months of prelude. The massive carnaval festivities, which suspend the daily life, still mainly take place in North Brabant, Limburg, Twente and the municipalities of Hulst, Sluis, Nijmegen, Over-Betuwe, Lingewaard, De Liemers and Arnhem.[1]
Carnaval officially lasts from Sunday to Tuesday, but the current practice is that often there are numerous Carnaval festivities between 11 November and the actual feast, especially in the last weeks before carnaval. Sometimes there are also on Ash Wednesday some carnaval activities held. The post-Christian carnaval consist of several days consecutively drinking, feasting, role-dressing, social criticizing and mocking, parades and music. Also specific carnaval traditions and customs which may vary from town to town are an important part of the modern carnaval. The ridiculing and socially critical aspects of the carnaval are mostly emphasized during the parades. Southern schools often dedicate the Friday afternoon before the actual feast to the carnaval. Children are invited to come role-dressed to school, sometimes the schools even organize a school parade and choose a school prince.[1] Though some people take the Carnaval traditions very seriously, many people nowadays keep it simple and just drink, sing and dance wearing a colourful outfit.
On 11 November (the eleventh of the eleventh), at exactly 11:11 am, starts the carnaval season. In the Netherlands, the start of the season is celebrated in almost every carnaval celebrating town with some kind of ceremony. The reason for this date is the number 11, which is traditionally the number of fools and madmen.[1]
In the Netherlands there are two kinds of Carnaval: the
The Carnavals are in many ways similar, but because of their origins and unique traditions they are also easy to distinguish from each other. The Rhenish variant is usually celebrated in
Role reversal and role dressing
Carnaval is not only a feast of eating and drinking, but also serves as social
Traditionally the role dressing serves three major purposes:[1]
- The costume allows people to become and act according to an identity they cannot take on or express during the rest of the year because of social standards and serves thus as an outlet for such needs.
- The costume offers a visual way of protesting or expressing criticism and mirroring by exaggeration of social circumstances, authority and daily life to break taboos, create awareness and reflect on past and current events.
- The costume provides protection when criticizing and ridiculing others because the wearer can either not be recognized or the criticism can be attributed to the role the wearer assumes during the carnaval rather than to the wearer himself. Because of this the wearer can safely express his criticism and opinion without having to fear for consequences in his daily life.
Key transfer
The Prince of carnaval receives on the first day of the carnaval the symbolic key to the city / town from the hands of the mayor, who transfers to him three days of "power". This element of the carnaval is already known in the medieval carnaval. The changing of positions in power provide an opportunity to criticize the authorities without fear of retribution and are part of the role reversal function of the carnaval.[1]
Since 1839 numerous societies were established which organized carnaval balls. In fact, these associations took on many activities which the
More than Rhenish, the Burgundian carnaval celebrations are dominated by carnaval associations. These associations, of which there are sometimes many per city or village with each their own prince and council of eleven, organize their own festivities for both members and non-members of the association during the carnaval.
In many places, large carnaval parades are held with large floats, organized and created by the carnaval associations. These are called D'n Optocht or D'n Boonte Störrem (The Motley Storm). The parades have usual a particular theme whereby authorities are ridiculed and criticized, events of the past year are represented and which are often politically incorrect and used to make people think outside the box or function as a mirror to the society. Also groups or individuals on foot will participate and fill the gaps between the carnaval wagons during the parade. Fanfares and marching bands will provide for typical carnaval music. The floats are built by carnaval associations, but also often by independent groups of friends, families, neighbourhoods or other clubs. A massive ship-looking wagon is shown in every carnaval parade which is manned by the prince, his entourage and the council of eleven of the city it is held or of the carnaval association that organized the parade and is usually the last float at the parade. Carnaval parades often start at 11.11 am and end early in the afternoon. Some wil start in the afternoon to give participants the opportunity to join several parades a day and to give the public and participants the opportunity to be somewhat more sober / less hangover after the drinking of the day before. In that case they will start at 11 past the hour as well. Usually a competition will be held to choose the most outstanding contribution to the parade with separate categories for floats, groups on foot and individual participants. Although a procession usually takes from a starting point to a point of arrival, it actually roams from nowhere to nowhere. What only matters is the social binding during the parade. Along the route, the crowd forms a very essential part of the parade. The crowd is not just spectator, they form living dikes along the carnaval river without which the parade would lose meaning.[1]
Also separate children's parade are sometimes held which focuses not on
Eleven
The number eleven plays an undeniably important role in the carnaval. The opinions on this subject are very divergent, so much so that one explanation often has nothing to do even with the other. On the other hand, the number eleven is not only central to the carnaval, but it has built up a kind of mystical and magical value through the ages.
11 November
11 November, the 11th of the 11th, is an important date. 11 November is exactly 40 days before 21 December, the shortest day. This happens to be the feast day of sint Maarten (
For centuries, 11 November was the day that the year's work was deemed to be done. The barns were filled for the winter, the selected livestock would have been slaughtered and very importantly: the lease, property taxes, interests, and tithe were to be paid. These often weighed very heavily on the population. A year of scraping, frugality and putting every penny aside, would end after the payment on 11 November.[1]
In both the Rhenish and the Burgundian carnaval 11-11 plays an important role. At 11–11 on 11.11 a.m. is the first of court meetings by the Council of Eleven held in preparation for the upcoming carnaval. During this meeting will also the new Prince be announced. In Brabant at the same meeting the new carnaval
Origin theories
Association with fools and imperfection
Eleven is original the "fools number" in Germanic culture. In German it is called a Schnapszahl and associated with alcohol consumption and used in numerology. In the Dutch language it is associated with idiocy (Dutch: gekkengetal). It is an imperfect number since it is one number less than the base number twelve in the duodecimal numeral system and one number more than the base number ten in the decimal numeral system. Also it is a prime number.[1]
Association with elves
The number eleven in Dutch and German is translated as Elf. The word originates from the
There is suggested that the word "elf" became associated with the words
The ritual re-enactment of the
Adolf of Cleve
Although there is certain historical data on ancient meaning of the number 11, there may also be a younger explanation. It is known that the oldest Geckengesellschaft (jester group) was founded by count Adolf of Cleve in 1381 and took place on 12 November. Everything indicates that the foundation celebration of the 11th apparently got out of control, so the signing took place one day too late. The seal of the count takes the 11th place in the row of 35 stamps. The motto of this noble jester society was EyLustigh Fröhlich (Merry Cheerful).[1]
Cabaret in dialect is held in both variants of carnaval. In North Brabant the person doing the cabaret is called a tonpraoter (barrel speaker) or in the Western part of North Brabant a sauwelaar, and is actually in or on a barrel. In Limburg they are named buuttereedner or buutteredner and in Zeeland they are called an ouwoer. They all perform a cabaret speech in dialect, during which many current issues and events of the past year are reviewed. Often there are local situations and celebrities from the local and regional politics who will be mocked, ridiculed and insulted. The tonpraoter or buuttereedner is a successor of the medieval jester.[1]
Open stages are held in the weeks before the carnaval where people from the community, mostly amateurs, can participate in carnaval related acts like music,
It may be assumed that the emergence of the figure of the jester is coinciding with the development of the medieval civilization. Since the very beginning of his occurrence, the fool has been the personification of folly for centuries, as the jester was the one who tipped reality. In other words, the jesters mirrored or exaggerated the everyday reality, and is way-ward or taboo-breaking. They spoke truths that others were only secretly thinking. Actual fools often lacks the ability to behave according to the norms, while conscious jesters exaggerated to serve as a mirror to their public. The image of the jester is mainly shaped by its heyday. This ran from the Middle Ages to the late seventeenth century. The default image is that of the jester with fool's cap with bells, cheerful colors and oversized shoes, and marotte. In reality, some wore a jester costume, but other wore deliberately shabby clothes and some wore noble robes. Nowadays we imagine the jester often with a small deformed appearance, but this was not always the case.
There were basically two kinds of jesters. The ones with physical and especially mental disabilities (the fools) who could be mocked by their employers and the real jesters who were hired or recruited to mock others and entertain. If there were setbacks, they were the ones whom one could blame or who could take the heat, or the ones people could laugh about and determine that things could be worse. The jesters were intelligent artists, well-spoken and theatrical witty. They were aware of their duties and took a position between the ruler and the people. They could tell the king or ruler what no one else dared. A role that the contemporary tonpraoters and buuttereedners continue in a modern way.[1]
Council of Eleven, Prince and Adjutant
A familiar phenomenon during the carnaval is the presence of the prince[1] and his entourage which is a parody on the normal authorities. The prince rules the city during the days of carnaval and symbolizes this way the power that is held by the common people. The format of this custom varies by region, the prince and his jester (generally called adjutant) however, are almost universally within the carnaval traditions. The prince is traditionally a male and can be the same person for years, but often a different person is elected every year. Depending on the towns tradition, the prince is chosen by the association or by all the people of the town, in which case a campaign is often held. The prince is called Prins (Prince) or sometimes Vorst (Fürst). The female Prins / Vorst, which is called Prinses (Princess) or Vorstin (Fürstin) begins to occur more frequently the last decade. Each year the (usual all male) Council of Eleven of every carnaval association proclaims a prince, and one (adjutant) or more aides.[1] Most associations also have an all-gender youth council of eleven which chooses a youth prince and youth aides. The council of eleven does not necessarily hold eleven members, often there are more than eleven, sometimes less. The adjutant of the prince (on occasion called jester) is part of the Council of Eleven and is the main aid of the prince and second in command.
Origin of the Council of Eleven
The actual origin of the name "Council of Eleven" is traced back to the Duchy of Brabant in the fifteenth century. The Netherlands and Belgium in the Middle Ages consisted of a number of
Plumes
It is traditional that the prince, and his council of eleven wears a fore-and-aft bicorne with (pheasant) tail feathers, in particular in those places that are influenced by the Rhenish Carnaval. Carnaval is however by definition controlled by unwritten laws. Hence the use of this tradition varies from place to place. However generally speaking the prince wears "three" feathers on his bicorne. The former princes, adjutant and the carnaval association president wear two feathers, while the actual members of the Council of Eleven wear one feather on their bicorne. The plumes are worn on the left side of the bicorne.[1]
Peasant wedding
Not everywhere in Limburg and Brabant is a boerenbruiloft (peasant's wedding) part of the carnaval. Especially in the northern and central part of Limburg and eastern part of North Brabant is the boerenbruiloft very often held during the carnaval and is an important part of the carnaval culture. Each carnaval association has its own tradition concerning choosing the spouse for a wedding. When it's a small association often the bride and groom are chosen by the council of eleven or by the couple that was married the year before. In Venlo it is not the carnaval association that chooses the participants of the peasant wedding, but an outsider group. This may be a company, a family, a football club, or as in 2013 a delegation of the hospital in Venlo. In that case, the board has determined who would become bride and groom.
It is not necessary that the newlyweds are a couple in real life. It is also not necessary that the bride and groom are single. Both the bride and groom, however, should be in love during the carnaval and they need to transfer their love to all the people who celebrate their wedding along with them. The highlight of the festival of the peasant wedding is the wedding and feast of the onecht (not-marriage) of the bride and groom. There are many aspects that can be found in a real-life marriage. First the engagement will be announced just as if it would be an officially marriage. And both the families should learn to know each other very well in organizing the party and the ceremony, like a normal wedding. The two families prepare a piece of entertainment for the wedding. And just like a real wedding, a reception and a feast is organized where guests are asked to wear appropriate clothing. The bride and groom will often dress in wedding clothing from before 1940. The bride for example will often wear a poffer, which is a traditional Brabantian headdress.[44]
Origin of the peasant wedding
The first mention of a "boerenbruiloft" (
Music
Carnaval songs are a relatively recent phenomenon after World War II. Intentionally amateurish marching bands (Zaate Hermeniekes or Drunken Marching Bands) traditionally perform this kind of music on the streets, mainly in Limburg. In North Brabant the music is played mainly indoors in pubs and feast halls, which is also done in Limburg. Carnaval music is often a song written especially for the occasion and is easy to dance to. It is an expression of one's own culture, one's own lifestyle. The contents of a carnavalsschlager are often melancholy and even chauvinistic. For example, it may be an expression of pride in one's own village, town or region, local patriotism and praise of one's own place, and therefore in one's own local dialect. But it can also be a resistance to loss of identity and alienation, to changes affecting the individuality or local society and against the absorption in the broader culture. Therefore, it often happens that the village name or the name of the prince of the group, appear in the text of a carnaval song. The carnaval music is used during the carnaval to ridicule the normal culture, therefore the creating and playing of carnaval music is a very seasonal happening.
Carnaval music is usual composed in 6/8 bar or 3/4 bar. Local carnaval clubs usually try to address current issues in local dialect in a carnaval song. Carnaval songs are a form of opportunity compositions. A good carnaval song has several recognizable ingredients:
- An easy, catchy "popular" melody
- Usually the song is deliberately sung out of tune
- A rhythm with 'leaping' character: long-short is often continuously rotated and triplets are common
- Many accents in music and many question-answer elements
- The harmony contains many thirds and sixths
- The text is easy to remember (thus it can be remembered when drunk), and often humorous in nature to make a point
- The text is many times sexual, vulgar, mocking and offensive in nature or totally non-sense
- The form usually consists of several verses that alternate
- Choruses with an accessible, inviting and compelling rhythm: there should be danced on
Dancing
Hossen (jumping together in a group) is a way of dancing during the carnaval which is mainly found in
Dweilorkesten and Kapellen
During carnaval brass bands, called (joeks)kapelle or "zaate herremeniekes" (Limburg) and dweilorkesten (ambling orchestra. The word dweilen generally means "to mop" in Dutch, but in this context it means "to amble", and indicates the partygoers ambling from bar to bar) commonly provide during the feast for the music in the
- "Carnaval in Mestreech" by Math Niël (1946)
- "Twië bein (ofwaal de veuroetgank)" (Two legs [i.e. Advancement]) by Frans Boermans and Thuur Luxembourg (1961)
- "Het Land van Maas en Waal" (The land of Meuse and Waal) by Boudewijn de Groot(1967)
- "Drinke totteme zinke" (Drink 'till we sink) by Thijs van der Molen (1969)
- "Den Uyl is in den olie" (Den Uyl is drunk / Den Uyl is into oil) by Vader Abraham & Boer Koekoek (1974)
- "Malle Babbe" (Crazy Babbe) by Rob de Nijs (1975)
- "Als het gras twee kontjes hoog is" (When the grass stands two buttocks tall) by Hydra (1976)
- "Unne spijker in munne kop" (A nail in my head) by De Stipkes (1976)
- "Limburgs klaaglied" (Limburgish lament) by Martine Bijl (1977)
- "Het leven is goed in het Brabantse land" (Life is good in the land of Brabant) by Oh Sixteen Oh Seven (1979)
- "Brabantse nachten zijn lang" (Brabantic nights are long) by Arie Ribbens (1980)
- "Er staat een paard in de gang" (There is a horse in the hallway) by André van Duin (1981)
- "Mama, woar is mien pils" (Mother, where is my beer) by Normaal (1982)
- " 's Nachts na tweeën" (At night after two) by De Havenzangers (1983)
- "Het feest kan beginnen!" (The party can get started) by De Deurzakkers (1986)
- "Bestel mar" (Just order (some beer)) by Rowwen Hèze (1987)
- "Niks stront niks" (Nothing shit nothing) by Rowwen Hèze (1988)
- "Rosamunde" by Rowwen Hèze (1992)
- " 't Dondert en 't bliksemt" (There's thunder and there's lightning) by Guus Meeuwis (1998)
- "Lauwe pis" (Lukewarm piss) by Theo Maassen (2007)[47][48]
- "Zachte G, Harde L" (Soft G, Hard L / "Soft G, Hard Dick") by Jos van Oss (2010)
- "In 't land van de Maasvallei" (In the land of the Meusevalley) by W-Dreej (2012)
- "De Gròzzie van Mèn Buurvrouw" (My Neighbor's Garage) by Ferry van de Zaande & Veul Gère (2014)
- "Links Rechts" (Left Right) by Snollebollekes (2015)
- "Wittewattetis Gewittetnie" (Do you know what it is? You never know) by Vader Abraham(2016)
- "Pilsies voor de vat" (beers to grab from the tray) by Buren van de Brandweer (2017)
- "Jacqueline, waar is de Vaseline" (Jacqueline, where's the Vaseline?) by 'Mosterd na de Maaltijd' (2018)
- "Terug Over De Maas" by De Kapotte Kachels
- "Potentie" by Stefan & Sean FT. Bram Krikke (2019)
- "Brabant Mijn Land" (Brabant is My Country) by Gullie (2019)
- "Frikandel Speciaal" by Stefan & Sean FT. Bram Krikke (2019)
- "Doorgoan" (Keep Going) by Various Artist (2021)
Greeting and toast
The traditional Rhenish carnaval greeting and exclamation is Alaaf. It is an, on the Lower Rhine area, common jubilant outcry and calling to a toast, but only during the actually Carnaval festivities. It is not used on other days of the year. The word is introduced through Maastricht (although it is not customary to use it there anymore) from the Cologne word alaaf (at least 18th century, but probably older) and ended up in Limburg and hence the rest of the Southern Netherlands. The Cologne word probably goes back to a dialect form of German all-ab, meaning Everything out of the way, with extension of the second A.[49] When just used as a greeting, the word is often accompanied by a reversed salute. The German Rhineland used to be occupied by the Prussians at the time, which had strong militaristic customs. In this region an alternate salute was devised as a protest parody: not with the right hand against the right temple as usual, but with the top of the right hand to the left temple.[1]
Local rituals
In addition to national and provincial variations, there also is a diversity in carnaval rituals between the various cities or towns. In the many yearbooks of local carnaval groups are the local rituals described.[2]
For example: In
In Helmond a variation of this tradition can be found: a man-sized boulder representing Carnaval, which is buried on the forecourt, is dug up every year on Carnaval Saturday. The boulder stays above ground for four days as a symbol of the Carnaval. At the very end of the Carnaval it is buried again until the following year, while the bystanders mourn for it by loud wailing and weeping.[51]
In Twente children dress up and go door by door making noise by rattling a stick in a jar and singing special songs to get candy, quite like children on IJsselmonde on New Year's Eve before the 1950s and nowadays in North Holland during St. Martin's Day. This is called: foekepotten. This however is not common anymore in the rest of the Netherlands. The custom of Foekepotten is already seen on a painting by Pieter Bruegel, called The Fight Between Carnival and Lent from 1559 (the man with the stick in the jar beneath the figure on the barrel).[52]
The
Oude Wijven / Auw Wiever
In the week before carnaval (usual Thursday) there are, so-called Oude Wijven or
The tradition may have an older background though. The position of men compared to women in society has often been a matter of debate. In
Costume
Traditional clothing consists of elaborate costumes. Some buy a complete themed costume in a party store, others create their costumes themselves. Because the Rhenish carnaval mostly takes place outside on the streets, the costumes are also warmer and generally cover the entire body. The costumes are elaborate and consist usually out of multiple layers. Old women or witch costumes, animal costumes with horns or sometimes with antlers, face concealing masks, concealing black or red face paint and joker costumes were traditional popular, but these themes are less standard today. Ordinary jackets or clothing are never to be worn on top of the carnaval clothing, at most underneath the costume.[53]
Majorettes or Dansmarietjes
During the carnival the normal form of government is parodied in the form of the Prince and his entourage taking over the town. Also the army and the defense forces were traditionally parodied as a way of protesting the Prussian occupation of the Rhenish area at the time. In
The majorettes show clear origins in the camp followers in the 18th and 19th century, and have a vibrant and eventful past. Around this time Germany had a very large number of armies, and there would be young women in each regiment, who served during the day as a sellers and providers of food and drink and took on household chores like washing clothes. Thereby offered many of these women and girls themselves as prostitutes, for which they would dress themselves more sexually provocative and they would dance for the soldiers.
Around 1800 began to emerge of more regulations in the armies. Slowly these were also applied to the camp followers. Increasingly, she was a woman who was married to a corporal or soldier, and whose task it was among other things "to wash the linen," according to an old army decision. The camp follower became not a typical army prostitute anymore, but also not a proper married women. Besides caring for the soldiers, she could still continue entertaining them in various ways.
In the carnival mockery both the officers and the camp followers were depicted. The officer by portraying him as an effeminate, wig bearing, conceited fool. The camp follower as a woman who was military but provocatively costumed, but also clearly recognizable as a man: the Tanzmarie.
In the early twentieth century, the carnaval associations found further inspiration in the revue girls that performed in the theater at the time. These were scantily clad young women, accompanied by some military attributes like peak helmets and military backpacks, which showed provocative dances in small groups. The revue girl grew into a nightclub-like star. It can not be denied that the carnaval with its Tanzmariechen has popularized and even parodied the sparkling shows that could otherwise be enjoyed only in the European major cities. Young women and girls again took on the role of tanzmariechen instead of men and they performed at the parades during the post-war carnaval. A show element was added to carnaval, partly due to the rapidly evolving ballet education. Majorettes or dansmariekes began increasingly to act in groups. Some parts of the Prussian military background are sometimes still reflected today in the movements, music or clothing of the majorettes.
The somewhat slovenly camp follower who accompanied the troops, has evolved into, a still on the Prussian army-inspired, show dance group. This metamorphosis went through the intermediate of the role performed by men as Tanzmarie. Although the current majorette or dansmarietje has her roots in the carnaval scene, the associations of majorettes widely break these historical ties, and profile themselves more as a sports or dance club.[1]
Colors
The Rhenish carnaval has three official colors which appear everywhere. These are red, yellow and green. According carnavalogist Theo Fransen from Venlo the tradition of these colors goes back several centuries, more specifically to the jester in medieval times. The jester group of Kleve (1381 – Germany) wore the colors yellow/red. The jesters preferably wore green/red in France. Even before 1450 a group of French jesters in Lyon dressed in red, yellow and green. Colours used to have much more meaning than nowadays, and were very important as a means of communication. An at that time most people could not read or write and therefore used other symbols among which were colors. The symbolism of the colors of the jester was for people in the Middle Ages immediately clear.[1]
In present day, a jester is seen as funny and humorous. At the time of the Middle Ages this was different, since the jester in fact was the personification of devil. The symbolic value each color the jester carries should be seen in that regard.
Red is the color of Christian virtue and ardent love but also is the color of the devil, fire, death, conflict and war. The yellow color stands for cheerfulness and elation, but also envy, retardation, ignorance and insanity. Green represents new life, youthfulness, boldness, the joy of life, vibrancy, growth and prosperity, but on the other hand, also stands for inexperience and nescience.[1]
The exuberant
Motto
Many, but not all, Burgundian carnavals towns have an official motto. This is often a famous saying in local dialect. It is proclaimed on 11 November by the new Prince.
Motto's of "Kielegat" (Breda) since 2000
- 2000 – De kop isser af.
- 2001 – Tis ene grote kerremus.
- 2002 – Dur wazzis... eel lang geleje.
- 2003 – Tis nie te filleme.
- 2004 – We gaon dum boot in.
- 2005 – Me zijn ut spoor bijster.
- 2006 – Me maoken'ut gèèf bont.
- 2007 – Ast mar erregus op lekt.
- 2008 – Ziedegij ut ok zitte.
- 2009 – T'Oren, zien en zwijgen.
- 2010 – Tis drop of dronder.
- 2011 – K'ebber un nuske vor.
- 2012 – K'ebb'ut licht gezien.
- 2013 – Meej tweej zevus kende nie blijve zitte.
- 2014 – Ut wor dweile of plakke.
- 2015 – Kekse Straole.
Costume
The typical costume of the Burgundian Carnaval has developed in the prosperous cities of the Duchy of Brabant and County of Flanders at the time of the Burgundian Netherlands. The shape of the Burgundian carnaval was originally that of a costumed eating feast during which people ridiculed each other. Because of the great poverty that prevailed in Brabant after the Golden Age until World War II, the traditional feast became characterized by (seemingly) simple costumes, of which the blue smock with red bandana of mid and especially western North Brabant is perhaps the most iconic and can still be found among the costumes today. The wearing of the smock secondarily made everyone egalitarian, since people's status cannot be determined by their clothing and thus making it possible to criticize authority regardless people's position in daily life. Traditional clothing consists of old clothing, curtains, blue smocks and bandana with all kinds of accessories. This outfit can be found especially in the western part of North Brabant, but it is becoming less common in the last decade.[56]
Burgundian carnaval takes place mostly inside in pubs and feasting halls. Since it is warmer in there, the clothing is also less thick and consists of fewer layers. When going to the different feasting locations, many people use old coats to keep from getting cold outside.[56]
Name changing
It is common for cities with a Burgundian carnaval tradition to change their name during carnaval (although there are some places in eastern Netherlands with the Rhenish carnaval which do this as well). This name changing tradition is especially common in the towns in and around North Brabant. The tradition to change the city names originates in North Brabant and is seldom seen in Limburg. In Limburg some towns do change their name during carnaval into a dialect version.[1]
During the three days of the carnaval
Some examples of carnaval name changes are;
- Ganzegat: Aarle-Rixtel
- Turftreiersriek: America
- De Klot: Asten
- Baek: Beek
- De Heksenketel: Beek
- Ganzendonck: Beek en Donk
- Krabbegat: Bergen op Zoom
- Klompengat: Best
- Eendengat (Indegat): Boxtel
- Kielegat: Breda
- Bokkenriek: Budel
- Oiverland: Eerde
- Lampegat: Eindhoven
- Krekkelstad Enschede
- Oggelvorsenpoel: Esch
- 't Slotgat: Empel
- Lappegat: Geldrop
- Dringersgat: Gilze
- Ballefruttersgat: Goirle
- Krullendonk: Heesch
- Snevelbokkenland: Heeswijk-Dinther
- Kraaienland: Heeze
- Keiebijtersstad / Kattegat: Helmond
- Oeteldonk: 's-Hertogenbosch
- Pezerikkengat: Hilvarenbeek
- Lappelekkursland: Hoogeloon
- Dreumelrijk / Hôrs: Horst
- Sanegat: Huijbergen
- Blaosdonk: Leende
- Ploegersland: Liempde
- Kouwvoetenland: Lierop
- Raopersgat: Lieshout
- Mestreech: Maastricht
- 't Heidurp: Mariahout
- Vlègeldarp: Montferland
- Knotsenburg: Nijmegen
- Kneutergat: Nijnsel
- Skôn Orregat: Oirschot
- Döllekesgat: Oisterwijk
- Kaaiendonk: Oosterhout
- Ossekoppenrijk: Oss
- Ostrecht: Ossendrecht
- Boemeldonck: Prinsenbeek
- Put en Buntland: Putte
- Pomperstad: Ravenstein
- 't Bremspoersengat: Riethoven
- Wringersgat: Rijen
- Tullepetaonstad: Roosendaal
- Zandhazendorp: Rosmalen
- Moesland: Schaijk
- Schorsbos: Schijndel
- Papgat: Sint-Oedenrode
- De Meerpoel: Someren
- Krutjesgat: Son en Breugel
- Plankcity: Tegelen
- Kruikestad: Tilburg
- Knoerissenrijk / Keienschijtersrijk: Uden
- 't Bokkeriek: Valkenburg
- Striepersgat: Valkenswaard
- Kuussegat: Veghel
- Rommelgat: Veldhoven
- Jocus Riék: Venlo
- Piëlhaazeriek: Venray
- Pieperland: Volkel
- Dommelbaorzedurp: Vught
- Schoenlapperslaand: Waalwijk
- Keiengat: Waalre
- Wjeeldrecht: Woensdrecht / Hoogerheide
- Zeuvebultelaand: Zevenbergen
- Reigerland: Zijtaart
- Moesland: Schaijk
Colors
The Burgundian Carnaval does not necessarily use the green, red and yellow which is used in the Rhenish Carnaval. In
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- Knipselarchief Meertens Instituut
External links
Media related to Carnivals of the Netherlands at Wikimedia Commons