What to Wear to Carnaval in the Netherlands

Carnaval in the Netherlands varies on the city you are celebrating in. To avoid wearing a banana costume to an Old Woman's Ball, read on for all the rules and insight into Carnaval in the Netherlands.

Carnaval is Celebrated in the Noord-Brabant and Limburg Areas

You will not find many Carnaval celebrations in Amsterdam, Den Haag, or Haarlem, for example. There are no large parades or city-wide celebrations, but you may be able to find a small bar having a party or something. 

But this is why most people go down south to celebrate Carnaval! Carnaval is celebrated differently in each province and even city, so make sure you know where you are celebrating before you purchase your Carnaval outfit!

Carnaval is Celebrated Differently in Each Province and City

In Limburg, the Carnaval colors are red, yellow, and green, but in Brabant, the Carnaval colors are red, yellow, and white. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In Brabant, the main cities have their own special Carnaval colors, and every city has a special "Carnaval nickname," so grab a notepad or get your screenshotting fingers ready!

 A Breakdown of Carnaval Celebrations in Cities in Brabant

Carnaval in Breda, Noord-Brabant

The Carnaval colors in Kielegat (gotta learn those special Carnaval nicknames) are red and orange. You will see locals wearing jackets with patches from their local bars, clubs, or hobby groups. But you, as a visitor, are free to wear a full suit banana costume, or a slice of pizza. But lest you make everyone in the vicinity hungry, you can also opt for a notable character, such as Mario or Luigi. Think American Halloween, except not scary. Locals will most likely be wearing their jackets with silly accessories, and hats, gloves, and scarves in their city-specific Carnaval colors.

Carnaval in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant

Orange and blue are the Carnival colors in Lampegat! Don't be caught off guard wearing another city's colors, how embarassing! Better off dressing as Donald Duck, it's just a safer bet. 

Tillburg Carnaval Dress Code

Kruikenstad, aka "Jar City," because in the city's textile past, residents apparently—do you really want to know this? Oh god, I don't want to tell you—fine—residents apparently used to piss in jars to wash the wool the city producted. Is this true? I kinda hope so? But I'm really not sure. 

All you need to know is that you're safe wearing orange and green or a ski suit. But maybe hold off on pissing in jars until you can confirm with a local. (We actually don't suggest vising a town and asking locals about pissing in jars. But if you do, let us know how it goes for you.)

 

Carnaval Traditions in Den Bosch

If you thought Tilburg's Carnaval name was weird, you're still correct. But I'm pleased to tell you that you can bring out all of your weird frog paraphenalia for Carnaval in Den Bosch, aka "Oeteldonk" or frog hill. 

Carnaval in the Limburg Province

Vastenavond in Limburg

Carnaval in the Limburg provence is a little different from the rest of the country. Not only do Limburg residents refer to Carnaval by the Limburgish name, Vastenavond, but the traditions and outfits are different as well. This is because Carnaval in Limburg is based on Carnaval in Cologne, Germany, which borrowed from Venice. This is why you will see more "traditional-based" outfits. I say "traditional-based" because we have evolved from the Venice Carnival, but the echos are there. For example, instead of physical Venetian masks, Carnaval revelers in Limburg heavily rely on facepaint. They also prefer a base of structed clothing that, while utterly ridiculous, the cut and shape of the clothing is remniscent of 18th century Italy, with glittery and extravagant trimming. 

Putting Together Your Carnaval Costume to Celebrate in Limburg

If you think you can just throw on a jacket and show up, you're going to find yourself way underdressed. Limburgish Carnaval costumes are sophisticated get-ups, with a clear color palette. So, first thing is to pick one or two colors to represent. (You can, of course, always opt for the traditional red, yellow, and green.)

Grab your base jacket and skirt combo, keeping your base colors in mind. Then, you want to add on feathers somewhere, either in the form of a boa or a headdress. If you are into DIY, we suggest repurposing a boa—this way the feathers are somewhat already attached to each other, trust us, you don't want loose feathers and hot glue all over your living room, unless you are trying out for Home Alone 6. 

You can glue the feathers on your cuffs, on your lapels, or along your hat. Also, speaking of hats, you need one. It does need to be sparkly, the more the better. You're also underdressed without facepaint or face jewels. And to complete your Carnaval transformation, we recommend a wig out of your color palette to seal the deal. And then you're ready to party in Limburg!