Carnaval in Oeteldonk!

I did not take this picture - swiped it from the interwebs - But I think it does a fair job of illustrating the fantastic weirdness that is "Carnaval in Oeteldonk" ("Oo"). You can find a better brief description on Den Bosch's Wikipedia page but essentially this holiday is a roughly four day celebration of time running out before Lent. Mardi Gras is analogous, though having not experienced it in New Orleans firsthand I can't make a direct comparison.

Interestingly the Netherlands as a whole does not celebrate Carnaval. It is mostly confined to the North Brabant region (of which Den Bosch is the provincial capital). The story is not clearly defined in any of the resources I checked but this region has a more heavy Catholic history than the rest of the kingdom. That probably explains these people putting more weight on Lent and thus the bigger pre-Lent stress release. Den Bosch is reported to be one of the biggest celebrations in the low countries.

If you didn't read it in the aforementioned Wiki page the city of Den Bosch actually magically transforms into the Carnaval city of "Oeteldonk" for the duration of the holiday. In fact, the Mayor officially abdicates in favor of the Carnaval Prince in a ceremony that I probably slept through because we had no idea when it was happening. There isn't a direct translation for Oeteldonk. I just think the whole transformation helps with the everyone living in a suspension of reality during these few February days.

To finally address the picture above, I decided a list of 'Carnaval in Oeteldonk' rules (as I experienced them) is appropriate:

• You must wear a costume. There are several major categories to choose from:

1. Animal, vegetable or mineral (or cake) - several shops in Den Bosch sell full-body, one-size-fits-all coverings made of various synthetics. Katie was een kat (a cat) while I was een hond (a poochie). Some of our friends dressed as a mouse, cow and penguin. I saw everything else from human cigarettes to refrigerators to a pack of sheep. These costumes were both simple and effective. And made us feel like dancing all the time. And were a smart pick for warmth as we trolled the streets in the still-cold Dutch winter.
2. Vintage America, circa 1950s-1970s - Elvis is still alive in Holland; I spotted him and his pompadour-and-gold sunglasses-sporting disciples of all shapes and sizes at almost every turn. There were additionally afropuff wigs all over the place, pinup wannabes and hordes of fake fluorescent wigs. Viva la disco!
3. Patch Adamses - I'll draw your attention back to the photo. On the left-hand side is a man in a blue blazer wearing a scarf with the official Carnaval colors red, yellow and white. Scads of people had (and still have) on some variation of this theme. The patches all represent certain bars or events with unique Oeteldank logos. Many jackets are riddled with them, as well as little stuffed frogs. The frog is another major Oeteldonk symbol, so pervasive it looks like there is a plague.
   

• You must make noise. One popular method is to play an instrument in a bad. I'm sorry - meant to say band. There are probably dozens of groups (comprised of the Patch Adamses) ranging in size from a handful to multiple ranks that troll around the city. Made up of trumpets, euphoniums, trombones, saxophones, sousaphones and various batteries of percussion, these units make their way from bar to bar spreading good cheer and terrible renditions of American pop classics and traditional Oeteldonk songs.

Every bar would also play these songs on loop, with the occasional "Sweet Caroline" or "Dancing Queen" thrown into the mix. They were another major contribution to the noise rule. It was hard not to feel like you already knew the words to these repetitive yet catchy party anthems. I can only think to describe them as some kind of strange offspring of polka, klezmer, and the standard march. At some point years ago the Carnaval Prince must have recorded all these himself because the same dark and somewhat creepy baritone features in most of the tracks.

• Two words: Kerrie Saus. This tangy curry has just a hint of BBQ and is on pretty much everything from frites (fries) to wurst (sausage) to hamburgers to balls of hot dough (ex. "oliebollen"). I could probably drink it straight from the bottle. The delicious condiment has been flowing nonstop this weekend, primarily from the numerous street vendors conveniently located in streets and squares across from the pubs. Friday night we had a dinner plate-size tray of frites with kerrie, fritesaus (effectively mayo) and diced onions. The Dutch call this "frites special." Saturday night we actually strayed from the kerrie and feasted upon a pair of "doner" wraps with lamb and yogurt saus. Sunday we ventured back with a footlong "currywurst" inside a mini baguette paired with a paper cone full of frites with fritesaus. These were offerings from giant mobile food rigs (a la county fair) set up next to some massive beer tents (a la the circus) all contained in a cobblestone square directly adjacent to one of Den Bosch's main cathedral. Hot food, cold weather, lots of costumed drunk people and their families. Glorious.
  
• You must also endeavor to cram into as many crowded bars as possible. Beginning late Friday afternoon most pubs in the city (there are many, and most are long, single rooms) are packed with revelers. Literally. We've been to several on each of the nights so far and they pretty much follow the same formula. You wait in line for a handful of people to come out of the bar before being admitted. Once inside you're confronted with a wall of drunk humanity. Moving to the bar or across the floor to meet friends requires you to become very friendly with your fellow Dutchmen. Fortunately it is cold out so despite being face to face with dozens of disguised lowlanders things never get too hot for comfort.
  

• You do not have to drink alcohol, though its inhibition-lowing effects do make most situations in the pubs and streets like I just described much more palpable. Cheap beer is the lifeblood of this holiday it was pretty much flooding the streets (Heineken is based in Holland and has a major operations center in Den Bosch) in the hands of young and old. Interestingly I did not see the effects of binge drinking I've become accustomed to in the US. People have been drunk, loud and overly celebratory for the better part of the last 96 hours but hardly have I seen any violence, vomit or other substance abuse-induced indecency. Sure, remnants of massive public partying are littered all over the streets, but that seems to be the worst of the damage.
  

I know I could not in mere words and stolen photos capture the entire essence of Carnaval in Oeteldonk. But you get the gist. What I still find most striking about this festival is that every segment of the population is included. I've seen representatives from every living generation, each face-painted, costumed, and holding a bier. Everyone is included and everyone is out to enjoy themselves. There is no distinct message besides having a good time. With frogs. There is no bigger agenda. Besides frogs. It is a simple holiday, really. Frogs.