It's almost that time again, the eleventh of the eleventh, or 11 November, the start of carnival. But why do we celebrate the start of the carnival season on the 11th of the 11th? That it is a tradition is one thing, but why? Where does this day come from, what do we do on this day and what are the associated traditions? You can read it all in this article.
The fact that November 11 is a special date is mainly due to the number eleven. The number eleven is often considered the crazy number. Why? According to some, it is because it is a foolish exceeding of 10, the number of the Ten Commandments. Others think it is because 12 will stand for fullness and 12-1 is not quite perfect. November 11, double 11 is therefore the reason to declare this day as crazy day.
However, this is not the only reason why we celebrate the start of the carnival season on November 11. Some people think it has to do with poverty. In the Middle Ages, people fasted before Christmas. Not because it was part of their religion, but because money had to be saved for Christmas. The meat from the slaughter month of November was therefore kept until Christmas. They started this the day after St. Martin, when many people quickly ate the non-perishable products.
Besides these two speculations, there is another reason why we would celebrate the start of carnival on the eleventh of the eleventh. This theory emphasizes the relationship between the word 'elf' and carnival. At the beginning of the 18th century, the French occupied the Rhineland. During this period, carnival was already celebrated vigorously in the Rhineland. But now that the French occupied the piece of land, they had to be made fun of. The local population put on French hats and chose the eleventh of the eleventh as the date for their sports festival. This was thought up because of the three principles of the French Revolution: Égalité, Liberté et Fraternité. The initial letters form the word 'elf'.
Whatever the reason, on the 11th of the 11th we celebrate the start of the carnival season. On this day there are big parties and the Prince Carnival of the carnival season is elected. In addition, the Council of Eleven is also introduced. After these have been elected, they meet for the first time on November 11th at 11:11 in the evening for the first meeting of the season.
The theme of the carnival parade on November 11 will also be announced, so that the walking and carnival groups can start building the carnival floats. The carnival call 'Alaaf', which is often shouted after each speech by Prince Carnival, is possibly a corruption of the word elf.
Many large cities kick off the carnival season on the eleventh of the eleventh with a big party. For example, in Den Bosch, Breda, Tilburg, Maastricht, Venlo, Roermond, Sittard and Heerlen you can go for a fun party. These parties often start at 11:11 in the morning and continue until 11:11 in the evening. Put on a fun carnival outfit, such as an animal costume , disco outfit or villain costume , because it's time to party!
