{"id":3122,"date":"2015-01-20T03:21:37","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T03:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/?p=3122"},"modified":"2015-11-16T19:40:17","modified_gmt":"2015-11-16T19:40:17","slug":"the-stadprins-is-elected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/the-stadprins-is-elected\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stadprins is elected!"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, the 18th of January was the official day to elect the\u00a0Prins van Carnaval\u00a0<\/em>(Prince of Carnival – Mardi Gras in Europe, which is also called vastelaovond<\/em> in the Dutch province Limburg<\/i>). This person symbolically reigns over the city during the days of Carnival, which is this year from Saturday, February 14\u00a0until Wednesday, February 18.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>

One of the two Zaate Hermeniekes (Dweilorkesten) that went\u00a0through the city on Sunday, that played\u00a0a lot of music!<\/p><\/div>\n

In Maastricht, the city I live in, the celebrations were crazy on Sunday! More than 15,000 people gathered at the\u00a0Markt<\/em>, one of the two large squares of the city to see the election of the prince.<\/p>\n

As general practice, the prince is elected out of the\u00a0carnavalsvereniging<\/em>\u00a0(Carnival association)\u00a0<\/em>that organizes\u00a0Carnaval<\/em>. In this city, that is\u00a0De\u00a0<\/em>Tempeleers<\/em>, which for some time claimed to be the oldest\u00a0vereniging\u00a0<\/em>of the Netherlands. However,\u00a0Jocus<\/em>, which organizes the celebrations in Venlo\u00a0<\/i>also claims the throne.\u00a0The latter is now considered the oldest one.<\/p>\n

The Maastricht\u00a0Carnaval\u00a0<\/em>was organized by\u00a0Momus<\/em>, the original\u00a0vereniging\u00a0<\/em>of the city. After the Second World War, De Tempeleers\u00a0<\/i>replaced them.<\/p>\n

So who became the prince?<\/p>\n

Odin Wijnhoven! His title is\u00a0Odin d’n Ierste\u00a0<\/em>(Odin the first), and is called the\u00a0Ziene Hoegen Hoegl\u00f6stegheid\u00a0<\/em>(His High Mirthness) in the dialect of Maastricht (Meestreech)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0mayor of Maastricht hands over the\u00a0stadssleutel\u00a0<\/em>(city key) to him on the first day of Carnaval<\/em>, with the symbolic meaning of giving him the power over the city for the days of Carnaval<\/em>. Then, the association of the prince,\u00a0De Tempeleers<\/em>, satirize local politics. Especially this year it\u00a0could get very interesting, as mayor Onno Hoes announced his resignation\u00a0just a few weeks ago due to various scandals. However, during the time of the Catholic party, he is still the mayor.<\/p>\n

Here is a scene shortly before the\u00a0sleuteloverdracht\u00a0<\/em>(key transfer) in 2014. The Prins <\/em>almost arrived at the\u00a0Gemeentehuis\u00a0<\/em>(town hall) on the\u00a0Markt<\/em>. The person before\u00a0Prins Henri d’n Ierste<\/em> on the caris his\u00a0nar\u00a0<\/em>(jester).<\/p>\n