It's time for Carnaval!
A few weeks ago the first signs appeared. Red-green-yellow toned posters, flags and decorations started appearing into peoples windoes and yards. Some more imaginative than others and some of the dolls hanging in peoples windows can scare the living out of you if your encounter them during the dark hours. Shops slowly started playing high tempo dutch carnaval music and the final sign of the incoming party is a house-high sign on someones yard that they've just been chosen to be the carnaval prince. Also their house and car will be decorated so that the message is so clear that it sinks even to the simplest villager.
All these signs tell you its either time to book a hotel somewhere deep up north, stock up food and drinks for a few days or put your party hat on and jump into the three day partymadness.
It's time for Carnaval in Limburg!
Even the opinions of carnaval are divided between it's the best days of the year to the group of people who thinks its the most idiotic thing ever occure in this town it's still one of the most important holidays down here. It's bigger than Christmas in America and Maastricht is the heart of it.
So jump in, if you dare.
Carnaval poster 2017 for Valkenburg
When I woke up to a heavy loud music and beating of drums I knew right away. Today is the day. First day of carnaval. And I'm ready. My fridge is stocked and earplugs are waiting by my nightstand. I myself are going to work during carnaval but most Limburg companies and shops shut their doors - so everyone can attend this important festival.
From the historical point of view the carnaval has something to do with the fact that Limburgs are mostly roman catholics. Vastenavond or vastelaovend as its written in the local dialect refers to the
Shrove Tuesday, but in general the term covers the whole three day show.
The cultural and historical standpoints around the carnaval are a bit blurry to me and I rely mostly on google what it comes to the source of information. Even I've dated a born and bred Maastrichter for over half a decade the amount of information I've managed to squeeze out of him regarding to carnaval is minimal before the conversation takes a rather uninformative tone about it being an embarassing hillbillyfestival.
With the information I've gathered I can tell you the following; It's the last party before the fasting before easter. Vasten means feast and vastenavond means the eve of the fasting. I don't know how many people still faste but with every other occasion Limburgers don't waste a chance to party good and hard.
There are a number of old traditions that still live within the carnaval. I am not completely familiar with them and some can vary by village but seems that the magic number with carnaval is 11. On 11th of 11th they celbrate, there is a council of eleven and so on. Theres also a prince of carnaval and one is choosen for every village and the Maas prince apparently "takes" the key of the city at the first day and the streets are thereby given to the carnaval people. I'm not completely sure how accurate my knowledge is, but for those who are interested google probably provides some more reliable facts.
So the whole show officially begins on Sunday, around noon when a very scary looking doll called Mooswief is lifted up into the end of a flagpole, every village around Maas seems to do this but the main doll can be found on Vrijthof in Maastricht. When the lady is up the pole the party can begin! At this point you cannot avoid the fact its carnaval anymore, the train stations towards Maas are filled with colorfully dresses people and the sounds of celebration can be heard through the streets.
The party continues with various parades and marching bands. Maastricht is the capital of these parades but every bigger village has their own in a smaller scale. There are themed groups of dances and musicans and massive platforms pulled by tractors with the most imaginative themes. These parades are planned carefully through the year and they don't spare time, effort or money with it. It's pretty much a hobby for some. I can't say it isn't a very impressive show, which takes hours while the platforms travles through the packed streets of the little Maastricht.
Maas itself is filled with people with imaginative costumes, some more impressive than others. The favorite go to costumes every year seems to be Napoleon's uniform, the cow and the bunny. Some people have outfits completely made from the red-green-yellow carnaval colors, there's hats, scarfs and all kinds of clothing that follows the colors of the celebration. The hat and scarf might come in handy as the carnaval is often celebrated early in the spring. Thank lord for that, imagine how out of hands things would go if the weather wouldn't slow the Limburgrs down a little? ;)
There is some sort of program that the carnaval follows but for many youngsters and people without family it's a pure go hard or go home kinda event. For some it's the one time a year when they pop the cork and let themselves go for three days. Monday afternoon is generally family day and there are some traditional program numbers like the prince does something random but for most it seems, it's just a time for a celebration and of course alcohol.
It's like Finnish 1st of May on heavy steroids. A complete hullaballoo. There are so many people, the music plays loud and the beer is cheap and you can buy it anywhere. It's the time of the year when you can run into anything. Today I almost drove into a watch tower on my way from the gas station at midnight. Someone had gotten lost from his parade and was now rollin' down the street on top of it. Few years ago I found my party beaten neighbour sleeping in the hallway, halfway into his apartement.
Turns out the pirate dressed gentleman had lost not only his dignity in the party but also his keys, wallet and phone. So he had to walk 10km back home from Maas and break into his own apartement. However he ran out of steam midway and slept a powernap in a tree (so he wouldn't get cold) and after breaking into his apartement he was due to another nap. And that's where I found him when I left for work in the morning.
The fun goes on for three days and then on Tuesday at midnight it's time to take the Mooswief down from the pole. While she's hauled down, they sing and drink, some are even rumoured to cry. The spirit is high and the party hits its peek. What I can appriciate in the locals is that when they do something that matters to them they throw themselves into it hundred percent without giving a flying f what other people think. They know how to have fun for sure.
The party still goes on until the early hours of Wednesday but after that it's time to put your party hats into the closet again and start planning next year.
So join in, if you dare! I am gonna skip the carnaval completely this year. I've been suffering from a harsh virus and I'm not looking to get pneumonia or contaminate half of the city. I usually go look at the parades on Sunday but after that I avoid the streets and Maas like a plague I'm maybe a bit too much of a stuck up Finn for these kinda celebrations.
But here's some memories from 2015 and 2014.
From the historical point of view the carnaval has something to do with the fact that Limburgs are mostly roman catholics. Vastenavond or vastelaovend as its written in the local dialect refers to the
Shrove Tuesday, but in general the term covers the whole three day show.
The cultural and historical standpoints around the carnaval are a bit blurry to me and I rely mostly on google what it comes to the source of information. Even I've dated a born and bred Maastrichter for over half a decade the amount of information I've managed to squeeze out of him regarding to carnaval is minimal before the conversation takes a rather uninformative tone about it being an embarassing hillbillyfestival.
With the information I've gathered I can tell you the following; It's the last party before the fasting before easter. Vasten means feast and vastenavond means the eve of the fasting. I don't know how many people still faste but with every other occasion Limburgers don't waste a chance to party good and hard.
There are a number of old traditions that still live within the carnaval. I am not completely familiar with them and some can vary by village but seems that the magic number with carnaval is 11. On 11th of 11th they celbrate, there is a council of eleven and so on. Theres also a prince of carnaval and one is choosen for every village and the Maas prince apparently "takes" the key of the city at the first day and the streets are thereby given to the carnaval people. I'm not completely sure how accurate my knowledge is, but for those who are interested google probably provides some more reliable facts.
So the whole show officially begins on Sunday, around noon when a very scary looking doll called Mooswief is lifted up into the end of a flagpole, every village around Maas seems to do this but the main doll can be found on Vrijthof in Maastricht. When the lady is up the pole the party can begin! At this point you cannot avoid the fact its carnaval anymore, the train stations towards Maas are filled with colorfully dresses people and the sounds of celebration can be heard through the streets.
The party continues with various parades and marching bands. Maastricht is the capital of these parades but every bigger village has their own in a smaller scale. There are themed groups of dances and musicans and massive platforms pulled by tractors with the most imaginative themes. These parades are planned carefully through the year and they don't spare time, effort or money with it. It's pretty much a hobby for some. I can't say it isn't a very impressive show, which takes hours while the platforms travles through the packed streets of the little Maastricht.
Maas itself is filled with people with imaginative costumes, some more impressive than others. The favorite go to costumes every year seems to be Napoleon's uniform, the cow and the bunny. Some people have outfits completely made from the red-green-yellow carnaval colors, there's hats, scarfs and all kinds of clothing that follows the colors of the celebration. The hat and scarf might come in handy as the carnaval is often celebrated early in the spring. Thank lord for that, imagine how out of hands things would go if the weather wouldn't slow the Limburgrs down a little? ;)
There is some sort of program that the carnaval follows but for many youngsters and people without family it's a pure go hard or go home kinda event. For some it's the one time a year when they pop the cork and let themselves go for three days. Monday afternoon is generally family day and there are some traditional program numbers like the prince does something random but for most it seems, it's just a time for a celebration and of course alcohol.
It's like Finnish 1st of May on heavy steroids. A complete hullaballoo. There are so many people, the music plays loud and the beer is cheap and you can buy it anywhere. It's the time of the year when you can run into anything. Today I almost drove into a watch tower on my way from the gas station at midnight. Someone had gotten lost from his parade and was now rollin' down the street on top of it. Few years ago I found my party beaten neighbour sleeping in the hallway, halfway into his apartement.
Turns out the pirate dressed gentleman had lost not only his dignity in the party but also his keys, wallet and phone. So he had to walk 10km back home from Maas and break into his own apartement. However he ran out of steam midway and slept a powernap in a tree (so he wouldn't get cold) and after breaking into his apartement he was due to another nap. And that's where I found him when I left for work in the morning.
The fun goes on for three days and then on Tuesday at midnight it's time to take the Mooswief down from the pole. While she's hauled down, they sing and drink, some are even rumoured to cry. The spirit is high and the party hits its peek. What I can appriciate in the locals is that when they do something that matters to them they throw themselves into it hundred percent without giving a flying f what other people think. They know how to have fun for sure.
The party still goes on until the early hours of Wednesday but after that it's time to put your party hats into the closet again and start planning next year.
So join in, if you dare! I am gonna skip the carnaval completely this year. I've been suffering from a harsh virus and I'm not looking to get pneumonia or contaminate half of the city. I usually go look at the parades on Sunday but after that I avoid the streets and Maas like a plague I'm maybe a bit too much of a stuck up Finn for these kinda celebrations.
But here's some memories from 2015 and 2014.
Valkenburg, Spring 2015
Maastricht in 2014, only crappy phone pictures but I wasn't comfy bringing my camera into the crowd.
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