Dunkerque Carnival 2013

Awaiting the bande on Sunday.

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  Carnival season was different for me this year than it was last. Not that both weren't filled with large boisterous crowds, music, singing, colors, fun, and friends, but they were two very distinct experiences.

  Last year was my first Carnival experience in Dunkerque, so I had no idea what to expect. I participated in two events spread out over the course of three weeks: one ball, which was the first event of the long Carnival season, and one bande, or parade through the streets, on the biggest Carnival weekend in Dunkerque.

  After having a blast at both events, and once I'd signed my return trip to Dunkerque, I looked forward to celebrating another Carnaval de Dunkerque.

  This year, I fully knew what to expect. And while I participated in two events again (of the six-week Dunkerque Carnival season), instead of being spaced out by three weeks, they were on back-to-back days. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the finish line!

Inside the ball.

Bal des Gigolos et Gigolettes
  Each Saturday evening, from January 19th through March 2nd, the Dunkerque Kursaal (convention center) hosts a Carnival ball. My teammates and I would attend the Bal des Gigolos et Gigolettes (I have no idea why the balls are named what they are -- last year I went to the Bal du Chat Noir).

  Since we had no game to play on this particular Saturday, we gathered early in the evening to get our costumes ready, eat, and get prepared for a long night at the ball.

  Last year, I was a cross between the Jolly Green Giant and a leprechaun. Unsure if I wanted a repeat performance, I sifted through other costume options (usually, Carnival-goers have the same costume year after year, but I didn't mind changing). My teammates who were from Dunkerque, brought bags of Carnival clothes for us out-of-towners to choose from. Bags filled with colorful boas, gloves, tights, hats, and glasses. I guess after a while, you accumulate quite a collection!

Val, V, and Seb.

  We had a fairly late arrival to the ball (10-plus girls getting ready can take a while, you know!), but once we arrived to the Kursaal the sights were familiar: a large ballroom packed with colorful, costumed, party-goers.

  The ballroom had a circular 'safezone' -- with gates enclosing it -- in the center, and a band playing music on stage in the back. There also were bar-areas scattered throughout the ballroom.

  Surrounding the safe-zone was the action-filled part of the ball, and Carnival: the constant parade around the Kursaal ballroom. This is the area I avoided. The 'first line' braces themselves while trying to hold the rest of the crowd from advancing. You can imagine it gets a little rough. So that is why I steer clear. No need to roll an ankle or twist a knee at Carnival!

Video of the 'first line'...

  Every hour or so, the band alternates between playing Carnival music and 'regular' music. It's during the times of Carnival music that the parade around the ballroom occurs. And every person is singing. I definitely learned some of the tunes, but not many of the words!

  While the band plays regular music, the ball resembles any ol' party. But once the music changes, it's back to Carnival! This was the pattern for the entire night, and lasted well into the morning.

Group picture from Saturday's ball.

  After several hours (I won't tell you what time I got home Sunday morning), my legs were almost numb, and my back throbbing. I had had enough, so it was time go home, and get some rest. I knew I had a second day of Carnival ahead of me, so I needed to pace myself!

Bande de Malo-les-Bains
  Unlike the balls, the bandes (bands) are in a different location each weekend during Carnival. Each neighborhood in Dunkerque hosts a bande (usually on a Sunday), and February 17th, was my neighborhood's turn.

  I live along the beach in Malo-les-Bains, so on this particular Sunday, I would have an bird's eye view of the bande.

  The bande is essentially a parade through the streets. This is a tamer sort of parade, however (versus the ones at the balls). A marching band is at the front of the line, of course playing the same Carnival songs as always, while a huge crowd of people follow behind.

This is what the digue looked like most the day Sunday.

  As I went to sleep early Sunday morning after the ball, my ears were ringing. The sounds and music from the party still making their presence felt. Unfortunately, that would be what I woke up to as well. My ears were no longer ringing, but the sound of music blasting woke me far-earlier than I expected.

  You see, I live above a bar in Malo. And usually that bar is pretty tame. Though, not on this Sunday morning! Only five hours after going to sleep, I was up, and reluctantly ready to go. The party for the Bande de Malo-les-Bains was already underway, and apparently the bar below me was one of the hot spots. Lucky me. 

Here it come the bande!

  By 12:30 I was back next door at my teammate's apartment, getting ready for our second consecutive day of Carnival. No rest for the weary, huh?

  We spent most of the afternoon outside. It was a nice day (for mid-February), so spending the day outdoors was manageable. We walked the streets, people-watching and seeing the sights of Carnival in Malo. That's what everyone else was doing too.

  The bande would come through the digue (boardwalk) around five o'clock. We wanted to be back upstairs in our apartments by then to see the parade of colors from above. Even though I lived in the same apartment last year, I didn't get to see the Bande de Malo. I had been out of town, so I was really looking forward to seeing the parade pass by my window!

  You could see the bande approaching in the distance along the digue. The music got louder, the colors became more-vibrant, and the umbrellas grew bigger and bigger. The huge wave of people was on its way!

  We all readied our cameras, and took as many pictures and videos as we could. Quite a sight!

The bande passing by...

  Soon after the bande passed, a few of my teammates and friends headed back outside to finish their Carnival day. But I was done. Unfortunately, the bar below wasn't done. Their music thumped from below til about 9:30 that evening.

Group picture Sunday.

My ears and my nerves were thrilled when it stopped -- finally some peace and quiet!

  It was a long and tiring weekend. But it was also a lot of fun! The Carnival in Dunkerque isn't something I'll soon forget.

  You're never sure when you'll get to experience something like that again, so I wanted to make sure to take advantage!

Getting costumes and makeup ready Saturday!

Just about ready.

Melissa finishing her joker look.

No Jolly Green Giant this year.

Finally ready to go!

The ball.

Bal des Gigolos et Gigolettes.

Friends having fun.

The first line holding the crowd back.

Guilb and Cyrille.

I found a heart on the ground!

Sunday on the beach.

Carnival is rough of some people.

The digue, from the beach.

Malo.

Awaiting the bande.

V and Lily.

Waiting for the bande to arrive.

Me in Malo.

A professional picture from Bande de Malo.

Video of the scene below my apartment for most of the day Sunday...

 

The band is in all yellow.

Passing by.

Trois Joyeuses: Carnival

Me and my teammates!

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  Rio and New Orleans are renowned for their Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) celebrations. The masks, the colors, the beads, the over-the-top festivities. We've all seen the video and pictures, if we haven't been fortunate (or crazy?) enough to attend the celebration in person.

  With a little less fame, but just as much (if not more) excitement, energy, and spirit, the apex of the Dunkerque Carnival should be mentioned alongside festivities in New Orleans and Rio. There's one difference however. In Dunkerque, culmination of Carnival, known as trois joyesuses (three joyous days) does indeed last for THREE JOYOUS DAYS.

Dunkerque Town Hall.

  Sunday afternoon I again donned my green 'leprechaun' costume, outfitted with face paint and a green boa, and headed out to celebrate Carnival with my Dunkerquoise friends. This time we were headed downtown, to the city hall. The main event of fish and lobster throwing was to get underway at 5pm. But by the time we got into the city around 4, the streets were already crawling with costumed, drumming, happy party-goers.

  The celebration actually got started much earlier in the day. Sunday morning (while I was still sleeping), a group of infamous Carnival-goers called Los Beitounos, host a chapelle in downtown Dunkerque. For clarification, chapelle has nothing to do with church or a chapel. It's actually hosting your friends for food and drink before (and after) attending a Carnival celebration.

  We made our way through the blocked-off streets, and found a spot to wait til the clock turned five. As it got nearer, the city hall plaza got more and more crowded.

  I was only expecting the balcony doors to open at five, and for the mayor to start his annual throwing of fish. As you can see from the video below, I was caught off guard when a parade of people and band players came charging into where we were standing! Once we cleared out of the way, we settled back in and the balcony doors opened, and finally the mayor emerged.

  For 20-30 minutes, plastic-wrapped herring was thrown out into the crowd (you could later see people eating it). We were at the back of the plaza, out of harm's way. From the looks of it, the area in front of the balcony was like a war zone. Hoards of people jockeying for position and fighting to catch one of the prizes.

  In those 20-30 minutes, 6 toy lobsters were also thrown into the crowd. If you were lucky enough to snatch a lobster, you could trade in the toy at a fish market for some real lobster. However, the lobsters are something like a trophy, and many times, the toy is kept as a memento.

Aftermath of the fish & lobster throw.

  Once the lobster and fish throwing was over, the crowd dispersed. My friends and I wandered to the front of the plaza to see the remnants of the 'war zone'. Confetti, feather boas, shoes, cell phones, broken bottles, garbage, you name it, and it was lying there, mangled on the ground.

  We then met up with some other teammates, and waited for the final event of the night. After mingling and enjoying 1-2 euro rosé, sangria, and beer for a couple of hours, the night came to an end with the procession at Jean Bart Plaza.

  It was much like the events of the Bal du Chat Noir, where a band in the center of the ball room played Carnival songs while revelers sang, and took part in a circular march around the stage. Only this time the band was at the center of Jean Bart plaza.

  The march commenced at 7pm, and continued for an hour. It is said that you can see steam coming from the crowd, but I can neither confirm nor deny this tale.

Walking towards Jean Bart Plaza.

  After being outside in the chilly 40-degree F temperatures for nearly four hours, I had had enough of the Carnival fun. And with that, Carnival 2012 ended on Sunday night (for me)!

  However the rest of Dunkerque continued with the final two days of trois joyeuses. On Monday, there was a similar celebration at the Citadelle (or the Dunkerque Harbor). And the three joyous days came to an end on Tuesday with the parade through the streets of Rosendaël (a small neighborhood in Dunkerque).

  So Carnival is finally over, right? Nope. Not here in Dunkerque. The celebrations continue this weekend on the beach (in my neighborhood, Malo les Bains -- but I'll be out of town), and then finally Carnaval de Dunkerque comes to an end the next two weekends with two final balls.

  It's been a unique and wonderful experience. And who knows, maybe I'll be around next year to celebrate again!

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....more pictures below!

RELATED POSTS:

Bal du Chat Noir

Carnival: Let the Madness Begin

Cool Blog with lots of Carnival Pictures!

Waiting for things to start.

My costume!

Here comes the band!

Lost in a sea of colors and umbrellas.

The mayor throwing fish & lobster.

A look into the night sky.

Aurélie with the girls!

My First Carnival: Bal du Chat Noir

V, Bruno, and me!!

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  It's been a difficult process getting this blog written today. Maybe my struggle comes from the lack of sleep I've had in the past few days. Or maybe it's because I keep getting distracted by the random post-Carnival neon green, pink, or blue feathers floating around my apartment.

  Either way, I have finally put the right words together to sum up my first Carnival experience!

  To tell you the truth, going into Saturday night (and the Bal du Chat Noir), I thought Carnival was just another excuse people used to drink excessively and act crazy (which still might be the case for some). And knowing it was going to be after a difficult French Cup game versus Mondeville (that we lost, by the way), I didn't have high expectations for the night.

  But two days removed from Saturday night at the ball, I can genuinely say I found Carnaval de Dunkerque to be all about camaraderie, friendship, and tradition. And it was a blast.

Ready for Carnival!

  Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. I had seen pictures and heard stories, but the atmosphere and my experience surpassed any expectations I may have had.

  The friends I would be attending the Bal du Chat Noir with, came to my game dressed in their Carnival attire. After the game, and after I finished my post-game duties as a DMBC player, we raced to my apartment so I could get into costume as well.

  My friends V and Valerie were in charge of my costume and makeup. They basically had free-rein to do whatever they wanted (which is something not too many people get to do with me! But they are Carnival vets, and I had to make sure I looked the part!).  After the quick transformation from basketball player to leprechaun (that's what I felt like anyway!), we made the five minute walk down the boardwalk to the Dunkerque Kursaal, and the start of the ball.

Leprechaun???

  I was excited, but didn't quite know what to expect. My teammates and people who knew I was going to the ball told me: bon courage as I left the gym (basically meaning, good luck). We went through a quick security check, and filed into the Kursaal along with thousands of other partiers.

  My first thought as we made our way through the crowd of colorful costumed Frenchmen: these people are crazy! Seriously. It was a spectacle in every sense of the word.

Finally ready to go! Me, Val, and V.

The Costumes 
  Every color in the rainbow was represented, and usually, all on the same person. Umbrellas stretched 15 feet into the air. Men were dressed as women (something I think they look forward to doing each year when Carnival rolls around). Jackets were covered with pins and other mementos representing Carnival from years prior. Faces and hair were covered in sparkles. And hats. Hats on the men seemed to be a must. They were covered in flowers and other trinkets. And again, the more color, the better.

  But regardless of costume, it seemed every person at the ball wore a huge smile. Including me.

The Ball
  We arrived just after midnight, which just so happened to be when the 'parade' inside the Kursaal began. In the center of the huge ball room was a circular stage where a band played. And on the outskirts of the room were various bar areas where people could mingle and socialize (and get more drinks, obviously).

  It was in between the circular stage and the bar areas where the real action of Carnival happened. Starting at midnight, the bravest Carnival-goers continuously walked the Kursaal loop (around the stage), singing Carnival songs at the top of their lungs.

  At 1 AM, the 'parade' dispersed, and regular music continued. The paraders took about an hour break (to rest and refuel), only to resume laps around the Kursaal at 2 AM. This went on the entire night. Until 5 AM. Gives another meaning to the word endurance!

  Even if people weren't taking part in parading around the ballroom, they were singing. Singing was the most-overpowering sound from the night (that, and horns anyway). Every person in the room knew every word to every song (except me!). They sang it loud, and they sang it very proud!

Cyrille, V, & Seb.

The History
  I made sure to find out why Carnival is such an important event in Dunkerque. Historically, Dunkerque was a fisherman town. Late-winter every year, the fishermen would set sail for Iceland. Unsure if they would return, the townspeople started the tradition of Carnival to send them off after a great time celebrating together. And the history of Carnaval de Dunkerque was born.

  As word spread that there was an American celebrating her first Carnival in the room (I think people overheard English being spoken), the most common questions I got were: "What do you think of Carnival?" and "There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world, is there?" My answers ranged from Carnival is: 'Impeccable,' 'Insane,' 'Crazy,' 'Unbelievable,' and 'Fun'; to: 'I have never seen anything like this.'

This picture makes me laugh--Brubru & Guilb.

  As I answered their questions, I could see the pride on their faces. The Dunkerquoise have a huge reputation to uphold in having the greatest Carnival in France after all!

  They showed me a great time, and it's safe to say it's a night I won't soon forget! I realized towards the end of the night that my cheeks were hurting from laughing and smiling so much. A pretty good sign that you're having a great time, isn't it?!?

  Thanks to V, Bruno, Guilb, Cyrille, Valerie, Seb, Brian, Maurice, Melanie, Bebert, and all the others for sharing your awesome tradition with an outsider, and making sure I had a great Carnaval experience!!

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 ....a few more pictures & video below...

Val getting me ready to go!

Cyrille & V got a hold of my camera!

Inside the ball.

Bruno & Guilb.

A look from the bar area into the stage.