Carnaval is the weekend before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of lent. It is celebrated all over the world. It is famously celebrated in New Orleans, South America, Germany, Italy, and Spain. However, after talking to a couple of friends' relatives we decided it would be cheaper and worth while to check out Carnaval in southern Holland.
Friday night we took a train out of Brussels to Heidle, Belgium where a friend's grandparents live. It is right on the border of Belgium and Holland and 100% Dutch speaking. We arrived around 10 pm due to a train accident that had stopped our train a couple stops before our target station. Thank god our friend knows Dutch and her grandparents drive cars.
We ate a homemade pasta dinner, chowed down on some magnum bars and hit the hay. We all had no idea what to expect. We drove 40 minutes north to a town called Breda. It is a small town in southern Holland that was known to be filled with students. When we arrived, we were far from disappointed. There were floats being prepped for the day, people wearing the craziest costumes, and balloons everywhere.
We parked the car in a parking garage and decided upon a meeting point if anyone got lost, layered on our coats, and set out to find costumes. Everyone wears a costume. The costume shop was little and was clearly there just for the weekend. We decided getting hats was the way to go so we could easily find each other in the crowds. Plus all the girls we are with are over 5.7 so I suggest making tall friends when going abroad. It comes in handy.
After costume shopping we headed to the chip stand. For festivities like this, cities usually have a coin or ticket system that all the restaurants and street vendors take instead of cash. It is easier this way. We bought our chips and waited for the parade. The old men were playing their instruments between shots of whiskey, the women had big dresses on, and the floats were creepy heads of jokers. The parade led into the center square where there is a huge stage with an announcer, singers and dancers. Because its the first day of Carnaval, it is tradition for the mayor to give the key of the city to the prince of Carnaval. It is supposed to be symbolic that the prince is in charge of the city until Tuesday when Carnaval is over.
The show kicks off the festivities and the party begins. The whole idea of Carnaval is so wonderful. The entire city coming together to celebrate in the wackiest costumes. The whole time we didn't see one fight, or one upset face. Every person in the city wore a smile and danced to their traditional music. It was overall an extraordinary experience and I recommend any one abroad to partake in the festivities.
On Tuesday we are going to a town in Belgium to celebrate the last day of Carnaval as a class. It is one of our CIEE excursions and will be great fun. I'm looking forward to comparing the different towns and their traditions.