Carnival of Dunkirk

The carnival of Dunkirk is the whole of the festivities which take place in the Dunkirk agglomeration in the neighborhoods of the fatty Tuesday. One distinguishes:

bands: the carnavaleux ones ravel in the streets behind the music, led by a drum major.
balls: the carnavaleux ones are found the night, in the big rooms of the agglomeration, to have fun the festival by mixing carnavalesques songs, with the modern music and all that with the profit of associations (corsairs…).

Origins

The Dunkirk carnival finds its roots in fishing in Iceland, indeed the sailor-sinners who were going to leave saw themselves offering a meal by their ship-owner, this tradition then evolved to current form.

The sailor-fishermen, before leaving to the fishing to the Cod in Iceland, had fun the festival the day before by fear of not returning from sea, because much found death in the course of road.

Carnavalesques associations

See also: List of associations of the Carnival of Dunkirk

Bands

A band is a gathering of people, disguised, ravelling in the street of a city or a district. It is made up of the Tambour Major , of clicks (music), and of the carnavaleux .

The Drum Major directs the music, and chooses the course. When the fifres (flutes) play, the carnavaleux ones advance while going gently. When the trumpets play, then an uproar takes place. The purpose of the first line is to retain the horde of carnavaleux pushing like the keen ones. These uproars are disadvised with the significant hearts!

See also: List of the bands of the Carnival of Dunkirk

Balls

See also: List of the balls of the Carnival of Dunkirk

They are held most of the time in Kursaal, on the dam of Malo-the-Baths, with before ball, one is made a small round of dam, and one drinks one pint (a Bière) or two in a coffee. The ball is a kind of great festival where all the carnavaleux ones meet to have fun and meet people, on musics of the carnival and variety. Each ball is organized by an association having a goal, to help the handicapped people… It carnavalesques associations there, for example, Baited many, Bringuenaeres, the Dunkirk Corsairs, Creut' ches, Kakernesches, Quat' z' arts. The masks can thus have fun the festival while helping of people in the need, and that it is the carnival spirit.

The drum major

The drum major leads the music, it decides place of the uproars and others “tien good of known” as well as stops of the band. One does not know his origin precisely, always is it that the first recognized drum major as such would be “Pintje Bier” towards 1850. One knows best the drum majors after the war of 1870, successively Co-Juniper, Co-Gnac, Co-Plonk, Co-Schnick, Co-Three-Six, Co-Schlok, celebrates it Co-Plonk II and current Co-Schlock II. -

The disguise " beste' kletche"

The carnival is the occasion défouler and to leave free course to its imagination. This is why the carnavaleux ones compete of ingeniousness for the clothes industry of their clet' che, in other words of their disguise. Many men are disguised as women and for this reason adopt Perruque S, skirts low-lattices, jewels, reap, make-up, hats with flowers. Some slip on even female underclothing with the top of their dress. Others choose the loincloth of straw, the black under-sweater, blacken the face in order to resemble the “Zulus” without racist idea, the carnival remaining a festival. The apron of schoolboy with squares red and white, very with the mode formerly, is done more discrete. The figueman is very widespread in the band. It often precedes it, armed with its stick to the end of which a malodorous sock, a spider or a fish hang, hung by a string, replaced the fig which gave him its name at the beginning of the century. At the present time, the figueman surprises the spectators with his spider. The disguises are often assembled using old clothing found in the attic or offered by an aunt or a grandmother. The carnavaleux ones are the kings of recovery. The market of Dunkirk has even its " corner carnaval" , called " Cafougnette" or one buys of old clothing for the carnival (furs, hats, clothing.)

Herring jet

With the band of Dunkirk, the carnavaleux ones always stop in front of the town hall where the Maire and his Municipal council launch smoked Hareng S, wrapped in a protective film, on the Carnaval them, which does not fail to start an enormous scuffle. At the top of the herring jet, the mayor launches a Homard out of plastic. The throw of lobster is a wink with the current mayor of Dunkirk: Michel Delebarre. Indeed, its predecessor was called Prouvoyeur, and the carnavaleux ones, at the time of the herring jet, sang in chorus “Prouvoyeur, of the kippers (red herrings into Dunkirk)! ”. Once Mr. Delebarre elected at the post of mayor, the carnavaleux ones, wishing to preserve a traditional rhyme, started to sing “Delebarre, of lobsters! ”; the carnavaleux lucky one which it trap can then exchange it against a truth. Each band has its herring jet, however that of the band of Bergues is different since the herrings are replaced by Fromage of Bergues. This stage is rich in emotion for the carnavaleux ones, like for the spectators, this great flood of people full with colors, the cries of joy of lucky… After the herring jet, in addition to sweat and beer, a fish odor also accompanies the band, but good carnavaleux only one thing throughout the year waits, to feel these expensive feelings in its heart.

The intrigue

The carnavaleux parties Intrigues some are disguised, “griment”, not to be recognized. They approach the passers by, spectators or carnavaleux, masking their identity as much as possible, but trying to show that they know their interlocutor well. The play is then to recognize intriguing it, for the spectator, and to remain anonymous more the possible for a long time, for intriguing. They are called also Figueman.

Vaults

During the bands, the inhabitants of the districts concerned open their doors with carnavaleux which they know, which find here of beer, the onion soup, of herrings, the poddingue, of the potschevleeshe, of the music, for a very convivial environment. It is often necessary to know a password to be able to return in a vault, the invitations are done according to the reputation of the carnavaleux one, if it is respectful, fêtard and always ready to sing!

Final Rigodon

At the run-out, the Musique is placed on a podium around whose the carnavaleux ones start the final rigodon during one hour on all the airs of Carnival. The carnavaleux ones are crushed the ones against the others during all the rigodon, even during the songs not causing usually uproar and other “tien good of known”. In cold weather, it is not rare to see to rise above the carnavaleux compressed ones, a vapor cloud, which gives to the event an unreal aspect. At the end of the rigodon the carnavaleux ones start the anthem with Co-Plonk, in remembering regretted Drum major, and the Cantate in Jean Bart, in homage to the Dunkirk corsair. With the band of Dunkirk, the final rigodon takes place places Jean Bart and at Malo in the Turenne place around the kiosk, and on all the principal places of the cities and villages at the time of bands.

Songs

The carnival of Dunkirk has a great number of traditional songs, such as for example:

Wiche, wiche
Cabaretière (make us credit)
On the Fifth Floor
In Dunkirk
IEA, have, have, my port' currency
Ah that it with the stupid air that one
Do not buy any more matches
The love it is like salad
My Mother-in-law
Mets your beste Cletch'
The Cake-walk
The Plane
Chantal
The black Cat
Roul' your boss', your father is uneven
Talire, Taloure
A butcher's assistant
She broke her umbrella
Rose poissonnière
If you do not want only your wife…
Like nor mei… Like nor mei…
We live up there, up there
Macaronis
Give a zô to your uncle Cô
Will wash your eyes
It is the wedding with Droppings-Mion
You ace not considering the band
It is said that Dunkirk died
Ah! It was not necessary that it goes
The woman whom it will have
Mets your p' tit… on the ice
Ah! if you want of the love
Ah! Ah! Leon
Oh! ! ! I lost my wife
Light your pipe with the pump
Tou' femm' there…
Moiselle Mad', can you dance
You knew Manot' che
A company was founded
Where we will go the Ash Wednesday
The children of Jean Bart live
Anthem with Jean Bart

See too

Internal bonds

Dunkirk
Dunkirk
List of the giants of the North of France

External bonds

Photographs of the carnival of Dunkirk since 5 ans"
Photographs of the Carnival of Dunkirk
the site of Acharnés"
the forum " Speak dunkerquois"
Site known on the Carnival
Site of Masquelour
Site of Mincoin
the Site of the DK' psuleurs
the site of Eul' Masto
the site full with photographs of Eul Ben
Official site of association: Dunkirk Corsairs
the official site of the Philanthropic association and carnavalesque Kiekeun Reusche
the official site of Veint' ches of Ruminghem
a site with photographs of the Carnival 2006 by Alex
site of photograph of the carnival of popek59
songs of the carnival - music in streaming
Site of a musician of the impassioned carnival of photograph

Random links: