You like it or you don't like it. Carnaval is one of the biggest celebrations in the south of the Netherlands. If you’re new to the Netherlands or from one of the other provinces, you may be surprised by the costumes, parades, and street parties. We’ll take you along the ride, so you know what’s the deal during these festive days.

The origins of carnaval 

This information may be new to you, but carnaval has deep historical and religious roots. It originated as a Catholic festival, marking the days you can let it all go one more time before a time of restraint. After this, the 40 days of fasting would start until Easter. Back in the day, this ‘letting go’ used to be mainly about eating. All the sugary food that was still in the house was quickly eaten so it wouldn’t spoil during fasting.

Carnaval is not only a Dutch celebration. It’s celebrated wherever many Catholics live. However, it isn’t celebrated in the same way everywhere. You may know the Brazilian carnaval with large, feathered robes and dancers in the streets. Carnaval in Venice is also world famous.

Over the centuries, carnaval evolved into a vibrant mix of tradition, satire, and community bonding. How it’s celebrated now has only been celebrated this way for about the last 50 years. For most people today, it’s a time for fun, laughter, and letting loose.

Carnaval traditions in the Netherlands

To explain and understand carnaval, it’s best to go along with the traditions around it.

• Celebrate carnaval in the south
  Whether you celebrate it or not, you’ll probably notice it in the southern provinces. Noord-Brabant and Limburg are the center of the carnaval celebrations. Almost every city and village organizes festivities – the bigger the city, the more festivities. Places to go include Breda, Tilburg, Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Venlo, and Maastricht. Besides these places, it’s also celebrated in the province of Gelderland, for example in Nijmegen.  
  
  Although Brabant and Limburg belong to the southern provinces, their traditions are different. Brabant focuses more on humor and satire than Limburg and the festivities take place in bars and large tents instead of outside. In Limburg, the role of the carnaval's prince is more prominent than in Brabant and the music has a stronger focus on dialect songs and local traditions.
  
  
• Start of the carnaval season
  The new carnaval season is kicked off every year on November 11 (11th of the 11th, or ‘de elfde van de elfde’), at 11:11. This date and time come from a consideration that the number 11 used to be mad and crazy. And during carnaval, people go a bit crazy. In the months that follow, the floats are built and the outfits are carefully put together.
  
  
• Mark your calendar
  Carnaval officially starts on Sunday and ends on Tuesday, but in many places, the celebrations begin the Thursday or Friday before. Carnaval starts seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The earliest possible date of carnaval is, therefore, February 1 and the last possible date is March 9. For the upcoming years, you can mark your calendars on these dates: March 1 to March 4 in 2025, February 14 to February 17 in 2026, and February 6 to February 9 in 2027. On the day after carnaval, on Wednesday (‘Aswoensdag’), carnaval ends with eating ‘worstenbrood’, herring (‘haringhappen’), or other delicacies.   
  
  
• Carnaval’s prince or princess
  Every year, every carnaval association has a prince or princess carnaval that (symbolically) takes over the city’s mayor. This prince or princess is often appointed on November 11. ‘Adjudanten’ and a ‘Raad van Elf’ assist the prince or princess during the carnaval period.
  
  Some weeks before carnaval, traditional receptions to welcome the prince or princess carnaval and ‘zittingsavonden’ take place, mostly in smaller villages. These zittingsavonden are events with humorous cabarets, performed from a large barrel on a stage. Brass bands and dance acts also perform during the event. 
  
  
• City names
  Many cities and villages in Brabant, Limburg, and Gelderland temporarily change their name during carnaval. Often, the name is a reference to the largest carnaval association in the city or village. For example, Maastricht becomes ‘Mestreech’, Eindhoven becomes ‘Lampegat’, Den Bosch becomes ‘Oeteldonk’, Tilburg becomes ‘Kruikenstad’, and Arnhem becomes ‘Ernem’.
  
  
• Costumes
  Costumes are an important symbolic part of carnaval. In Limburg, people wear elaborate, Venetian-style costumes and apply face paint, and the parades include beautiful, artistic floats. In Brabant, you can dress up as whatever you want, because – generally – it doesn’t matter what you wear. Unlike Halloween, where costumes are often spooky, carnaval costumes are meant to be humorous, exaggerated, and full of satire. 
  
  In some cities, there’s a strict dress code. For example, costumes full of satire are not done in Den Bosch, while these are common in Eindhoven. There’s no dressing up in Den Bosch, a scarf in the city’s colors and a jacket full of patches is your go-to outfit. Not only in Den Bosch are the outfits coordinated on the colors of the city, in Tilburg many people wear orange and green, and some in Eindhoven wear orange and blue.
  
  
• Parades
  The parade is in many places the highlight of carnaval. Many cities host parades in their city center with themed floats, marching bands, and costumed performers. Carnaval associations voluntarily create bright-colored floats with rotating elements.
  
  

Carnaval for the first time

Are you a freshman in carnaval? If you want to experience carnaval like a local, here’s how to get started:

• Dress up 
  Even if you don't have a full costume, wear bright colors, face paint, and be festive! 
  
  
• Learn some local songs 
  Knowing a few lines of a traditional carnival song will help you connect with locals. 
  
  
• Go in with an open mind 
  Carnaval is all about embracing the absurd, letting go of daily worries, and having fun. Also with strangers. 

Whether you're in Brabant, Limburg, or Gelderland, or just curious about the celebrations – it's a good way to experience Dutch culture in its most festive form. Enjoy the party and Alaaf!