Themed

Continueing the snapshot theme, I edited the pics I've taken this past Friday as polaroids also.

The "party" was held to celebrate our friend Hanneke for being selected to be this years bride for "Carnaval".

She's the bride of the "Boerenbruiloft" (farmerwedding literally translated) of our town, wich is part of the holidy "Carnaval".

EXPLANATION:

Carnaval is celebrated once every year around Febuary-March. The festivity was celebrated before it's actual set date nowadays and originated in the dark ages (13th-15th century) in the Netherlands. 

During the days prior to "Ash wednesday" 

(= a Christian holiday; the start of the 40 day abstinence/fast preceding "Easter") 

the community was completely indulged into mocking the hierachy of those days.

A temporary monarch ("Vorst" in Dutch), nowadays Prince Carnaval ("Prins Carnaval" in Dutch), will speak and/or mock staightforwardly and suggest the people to act unrestained. Wich was considered quite vulgar-obscene at the time.....haha. During the procession that's held straight through town, containing mostly the type of people the "common folks" love to to live without. 

Example of people joining the procession with the Prince at the front: 

* long-gone-nobles

* slackers

* gamblers

* drunks

* bossy women

* demons and savages

But also priests, monks and nuns joined in.

All in all, prior to the 40 days abstinence/fast, Carnaval allowed people to paint the town and do things they were normally prohibited to do. Their world was literally turned upside down in a good way....

Scattered polaroids of the evening in question

Linde giftwrapping

The gift: a game called "Farmer in search of wife"

Nearly done, had to hurry because
the leading lady is on her way upstairs!

And here she is!

Hello Hanneke ^^

Linde & Ieneke in the kitchen preparing snacks

Linde dressed as a lady farmer haha

And Ieneke as well....^^

Here's Marieke, the tardy one,
our cowgirl/lady farmer

Hanneke getting an explanation
of the evenings' festivities...

You're supposed to get dressed up like us!

Here's the package, now go change!

Smiley Marieke ^^

Sandra on the left, I focussed my cam
on the wrong person as you can tell.

The gift on the coffee table alongside chocolates
and cups for coffee and tea.

Hanneke putting on a hat that is an heirloom from Linde's grandmother.

Adding the shawl

Linde's silly face, the reason she closed her eyes was
because she was fearfull for the flash haha!

Funny pic, Hanneke got her cheeks smashed with chololates!

And having a bit of chocolate while someone was
handing her a handkerchief to wipe off the
cream from her cheeks.

Intense stare

Great piercing blue eyes saying:
"What are u looking at?"

Hanneke unwrapped the gift

Pretty farmer lady

Happy farmer lady

Reading the instructions of the game

Pregnant Sandra telling a story ^^

Coffee @ candlelight

Preparing more snacks!

Game & wine time!

Hehehe, Sandra wearing a farmer lady apron.

Choosing a letter....

Sandra from the top

Hanneke in the front and Linde in the background

Looks sleepy, but she was looking down haha.

My turn to read the question

Teacher Ieneke's turn to read out loud

Linde's always in for joke!

Not a fake flower btw!

Getting late...

Getting drunk? LOL naaa, just making a funny face

She's 180 cm  tall or something,
my little giant.

Must have been a funny question

Hanneke getting tired and layed her head down,
 she was a bit ill and had a sore throat and so Linde pulled
up her farmer lady skirt for fun haha.

Time to go home for pregnant Sandra.

In search of her coat with carkeys in hand.

I tole her to pull away her farmer ladyapron
to see her pregnant belly (5+months)

Waddel, waddle on her way down, very cute.
She's tiny btw, about 153 cm tall.

The back of Hanneke, she didn't want to take a goodbye pic,
because she felt she looked horrible.
She's about 176 cm tall.

Nowadays, Carnaval is a 4 day party/fest where people dress up silly, with lots of drinking, hopping around to silly music and having fast food (chips, pizza and various deepfried stuff) at the end of the evening before heading back home. It's a lot of fun when celebrating with a large group of people. 

The positive thing about this holiday is that there's NO DISCRIMINATION because everybody looks silly/strange at the time and that would be the pot calling the kettle black.

But the reason I don't celebrate this holiday is because I can't stand the music for more than 1 hour.......haha.