Carnaval starts today in south and east Netherlands

It’s Carnaval season in the Netherlands, and the festivities start today, mainly in the south and some parts of the east of the country. It is also the start of the spring holidays for schools in the south, including the provinces of Zeeland and Limburg, most of Noord-Brabant, and parts of Gelderland.

Carnaval celebrations are big in cities like Maastricht, Tilburg, Breda, Den Bosch, and Eindhoven. And these cities have seen visitor numbers increase in the past years, according to a survey by ANP. Maastricht had 20 to 30 percent more Carnaval revelers last year than before the pandemic. Tilburg reported more visitors in the past two years and expects the same for this year.

Everyone is welcome at the celebrations. The overarching rules for all celebrations are to dress up, be patient with the long lines in front of the pub, and show respect for everyone, even after a few drinks. But there are some city-specific traditions, Hart van Nederland reported.

In Noord-Brabant’s Carnaval city Oeteldonk (Den Bosch), it is important to dress in red, white, and yellow - the colors of the Oeteldonk flag. They also like to see you in a farmer’s smock. Some cafes may turn you away if you’re wearing a banana suit or princess dress or anything else obviously from a costume shop. And it is not done to shout “alaaf.”

The colors worn in Kruikenstad (Tilburg) are green and orange. In addition to beers, it is customary to drink a glass of Schrobbelèr - an herbal liqueur often referred to as “Tilburg blood.”

Kielegat (Breda) also likes it when revelers come dressed in the flag colors - red and orange. But here, any Carnaval outfit will do, especially if it's creative. Breda Carnaval celebrators like to sing loudly along to songs by Carnaval artists.

Lampegat (Eindhoven) also doesn’t shout “alaaf,” but “salaai.” The Carnaval colors are orange-blue-orange, and any creative outfit is appreciated. On Sunday, you wear a tie for the Tie Pub Crawl at Statumseind. The tie lists all the pubs part of the crawl, and if you get a drink at a pub, it gets marked off on the tie.

Krabbegat (Bergen op Zoom) doesn’t use the word “Carnaval,” calling its festivities “Vastenavend.” Like in Den Bosch, Krabbegat doesn’t appreciate outfits from the costume shop. They wear self-made outfits typically featuring a coat, a curtain around you, a red handkerchief around your neck, and something on your head. The greeting in Bergen op Zoom is “'agge mar leut et,” said with your left thumb on your nose. It translates to “as long as you have fun.”

Carnaval is also celebrated in Mestreecht (Maastricht), Remunj (Roermond), and Venlo.