From Saturday 2 thru Tuesday 5 February Eindhoven will go by the name of ‘Lampegat’, ‘Light bulb village’, and during these days of folly carnival will be celebrated with parades, leaping about arm in arm and drinking beer in sweaty rooms, and traditions like the ‘boerenbruiloft’ (peasant wedding) and ‘tonproaten’ (humorous narration). Do students and employees coming from countries with a rich tradition of carnival such as Germany and Brazil venture into this local feast in ‘Lampegat’?

Traditional masks
Dr. Tanja Bibb, who has recently been appointed at the TU/e as Assistant Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, admittedly comes from the southern part of Germany, but you will come across her on a ski run sooner than at a carnival party. ‘I am not a fan of carnival as it is celebrated in the German Rhine area, in Cologne or Bonn. I do not like to take part in such a massive event where everybody is drunk for three days. I come from southern Germany and there ‘Fasching’, as carnival is referred to there, is much more traditional. For instance, at the end, around midnight, they burn a straw doll and wear many traditional masks, representing witches, for example. I do not really know that much about carnival in Eindhoven, because I have just arrived. Probably they will have a parade, but you will not find me there,’ says Tanja with a smile.

Carnival secrets
For students who want to discover all the secrets of carnival, AEGEE Maastricht organizes a five-day carnival workshop to explore the region of Maastricht, Valkenburg and Cologne. The invitation comes with the warning that the recreational program is not for faint-hearted people. BEST Eindhoven organizes a cultural exchange with BEST Helsinki from February 1 to 5. Part of the program of the group of Finnish students who come to Eindhoven is to celebrate carnival.

Maria Kalimeri, a Master student of Biomedical Engineering and active board member of ISN/e, went to Maastricht last year with a large group of international students. Maria: ‘It was nice to see that people of all ages were playing music, having fun and teasing each other.’ Maria says that she has known carnival from Greece since her childhood with organized parades and people dressing up. At this moment Maria lives in Breda and plans to see the parade in ‘Kielegat’ and perhaps in Maastricht again.

Postdoc Dr. Ana Karla A. De Medeiros, winner of the ‘ASML Promotion Award 2007’, an award for the best thesis of the TU/e, says that by Brazilian standards she is a quiet person. ‘But by Dutch standards I guess I am average in celebrating carnival.’ She thinks it’s a beautiful party: ‘It’s a nice break starting on Friday evening till Wednesday where everybody can party, drink, dance and get together. You see people kissing in the street, or even going further. Most people go out in the streets in small groups of five to fifteen and celebrate. You see a lot of people from Rio de Janeiro travel to the beach at carnival as it’s a nice summer holiday, and in the city a lot of tourists join the Samba.’

More than Samba
Ana points out that although Samba is the best known carnival rhythm of Brazil, it is only one out of five. ‘ You have for example, Axé, which originates in Bahia, in North East Brazil. And then you have Frevo, which means ‘Fever’, and this rhythm is from the Northeastern city of Recife.’ In Holland she noticed a difference between Brazilian and Dutch Carnival music: ‘I don’t really understand the lyrics here, but the music sounds all the same. I prefer it more agitated.’

She was surprised that so many people celebrate Carnival here. She visited Maastricht, for example, and likes it that so much effort is put into the costumes. ‘Of course you are much more dressed as it is wintertime here. Ana: ‘In Eindhoven I haven’t seen the parade, but I like going out in the evening to Stratumseind. I like the atmosphere and you hardly see people fighting. They are having a good time.’ Ana hasn’t made plans for Carnival yet. ‘As a good Brazilian I don’t plan that much in advance, but I will probably go to Stratumseind and perhaps visit a parade in another city as I have heard the parade of Eindhoven isn’t that good.’/.

Program Carnival Eindhoven: Saturday 2 February, Parade 13.15 hours from Eindhoven station into the city, Sunday 3 February ‘Kapellenfestival’, from 15.00, Stratumseind, Tuesday 5 February, 14.30 hours ‘Boerenbruiloft’, Markt. ISN/e organizes a daytrip to Breda on Saturday 3 February and a Costume party in the Bunker on 9 February.