Carnival is just around the corner. The biggest fancy dress party in the south is celebrated every year. Everyone dresses up in the best costumes and the alcohol will flow freely. It's all about fun, of course.
If you are a true southerner, you know exactly how this week of fun goes and how you can best prepare for it. But what if you are not from Limburg or Brabant yourself, but are traveling to the south for the big party? In this blog you can read how you can survive carnival.
Carnival is fun, but you may still have some questions, such as 'What is carnival?', 'What do we celebrate with carnival?' and 'What should you know before you celebrate carnival?'. Carnival is traditionally celebrated as the party before you fast for 40 days before Easter. Nowadays, carnival has almost nothing to do with the Catholic faith and is simply celebrated for 4 days, because it can! Officially, carnival starts on a Sunday and lasts three days. However, many cities already start on Friday or Saturday with parades and parties. And in some villages and cities you can even go wild on Thursday evening. Tuesday evening is also really the last evening of carnival.
During carnival, many cities and villages have a special carnival name. For example, Den Bosch is called Oeteldonk during carnival and Breda is changed to Kielegat. In Brabant, there is a tradition of giving cities a completely different name. For example, Eindhoven is called Lampegat. But in Limburg, a Limburg dialect is often used; for example, Maastricht is called 'Meestrech'. Outside of Brabant and Limburg, there are a few other cities where carnival is celebrated. These cities also have a special carnival name. For example, Amersfoort, where they also celebrate carnival, is called Trekkersgat and Nijmegen is Knotsenburg.
Carnival is a party where everything is possible and nothing is required. But when you celebrate carnival, you have to do it right. This is how you dress up for carnival. But what do you actually wear? Our advice is to wear something that you feel comfortable in. In addition, it is good that your outfit can withstand a knock or two. Let's be honest: not everyone is equally handy during carnival and so it is the most normal thing in the world that a glass of beer, or two, spills over your outfit. Go for an outfit of your favorite animal, such as a lion suit or a monkey suit . But you can also choose a fun profession during carnival, such as police or cowboy . Pay attention to the local customs of the city where you are going to celebrate carnival. For example, in Oeteldonk (Den Bosch) it is not the intention to wear carnival clothes. Here the locals wear a smock with red/white/yellow emblems and a scarf. In some bars you are not allowed to enter without this clothing.
Besides the fact that your clothes should be able to withstand a lot and of course look nice, it is good to dress in layers. Layers are key during carnival. You will be outside a lot, for example for a pub crawl or the parade. But then you will also be in warm, crowded pubs a lot. Layers ensure that you are warm when you go outside and are easy to take off when you are inside. For example, choose a nice carnival jacket to wear over your outfit.
One thing is for sure: during carnival the alcohol will flow! And beer is the drink you drink during carnival. During carnival you drink beer all day long and act crazy. Still, it is sometimes difficult to keep it up. You often start in the afternoon and the parties go on for 4 (sometimes 5) days until late at night. The tip here is: drink enough water in between. In the toilet you can simply fill your glass with water and you will notice this the next day. Still awake with a hangover? Then don't choose coffee. Coffee, just like alcohol, retains moisture and that does not make your hangover go away. The best remedy is to drink enough water and otherwise you know what they say: the best way to combat a hangover is with beer. But prevention is better than cure!
Do you not live in the south, but are you going to celebrate carnival? Then make sure you have a place to sleep or that you go home by public transport. Coming by car is not convenient. Besides the fact that it is busy in the city, you will never be able to drive sober again. In Lampegat (Eindhoven) you can now order an Uber. Super convenient if you are not from Eindhoven itself!
During carnival you listen to carnival hits. Even in the pub where you go, these hits will fly around your ears. Join in, there is no point in resisting this. Let yourself be carried away by the moment and hop, jump, sing (as far as you can) and dance along with the rest! Before you know it, you will imagine yourself as a real southerner and you will be infected with the 'carnival virus'. Do you still want to prepare yourself a little for this music? These are the carnival hits of 2020:
Cora van Mora - Banging With Those Balls
Schorre Chef & MC Vals - Renovation
Dirty Jack - Remodeling the Hut
Paul de Laat - WINES (In the Chateau) - CARNIVAL 2020
Brothers Ko - Where Is The Paracetamol
Stefan & Sean FT. Bram Krikke - Frikandel Special
Drinking is never smart on an empty stomach. That is why it is good to start the day with a good and healthy breakfast. For example, it is good to start the day with an oatmeal breakfast. It fills you up well and gives you a lot of energy. Mix it with some fruit for the vitamins and your day can start well. It is best to choose an apple: it has a lot of nutritional value. In addition, you can easily take an apple with you. You can quickly eat an apple during a parade or when you are on your bike.
However, it is also good to eat enough, but not too much, during the party. Something hearty in between ensures that your blood sugar level remains regulated. For example, choose a hearty soup or a cup of broth between the parade and the pub crawl. The salt ends up in your bloodstream and attracts moisture. Still going to the snack bar? Then avoid the greasy fries. They contain a lot of carbohydrates and that is bad in combination with alcohol. You are better off choosing a frikandel or a meatball stick. Something to eat when you get home? In addition to the sausage rolls, eggs are also your best friend during carnival. Eggs contain cysteine, which helps to clean up the toxic substances of alcohol. There is no difference between fried or boiled eggs, both help super well!
Bring tissues! Often you have to wait in line for the toilet for a long time and when it is your turn, the toilet paper is often gone. With tissues you are fully prepared for this annoying situation. For men this is less of a problem.
Last tip: have lots of fun. Take everything (and everyone) with a grain of salt and let yourself go completely in the great party. Alaaf!
