Many of you have heard me talked about the Carnival from where I grew up. So when I visited my dad last week-end, on sunday, it was the official closure of the season. My dad's friends came for lunch in their outfits before heading off partying. It is very difficult to explain what this carnival is since it is rather unusual. It is very popular (i.e for the people), very crude songs, lots of drinking, lots of eating, lots of men dressed up as women and starts mid-january til mid march.
A little bit of history: sailors used to party for 3 days (around Mardi Gras) before sailing out to sea for 6 months. The bill was paid for by the people who owned the boats. No women were allowed on the boats (bad luck) so men would dress up as women to pretend. The umbrellas that you see is a mockery of the high society who used to come to the beach with their little umbrellas....
This video on youtube captures pretty well what is all about (honestly I didn't know there were so many videos on youtube about this event!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBCiyUC0w50&NR=1
If you are born in Dunkerque, you grow up with this, you don't even walk, that your parents are already dragging you to see 'La Bande', you go to your first ball at the age of 12, and usually that when you get drunk for the first time too!
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