Shall we go to the wedding now?
Farmers' weddings or Boerebroelof are unmistakably part of the carnival tradition. Beautifully dressed farmers and farmers' wives take part in this wonderful farmers' wedding party. Men in beautiful black tailcoats or frakjassen as they are called in the south of the country. Women in beautiful black dresses with lots of embroidery and lace and of course the characteristic white headdresses with beautiful lace and lots of flowers.
Farmers wedding suits and carnival jackets
Many regions have a farmer's wedding during carnival. This is usually on the 2nd or third day of carnival. The farmer's wedding has a long tradition and originates from the weddings between farmers and farmer's wives in the countryside in the past. The Shrove Tuesday farmer's wedding continues this old tradition. Carnival celebrants come dressed in farmer's clothing such as black frills and black tailcoats made of thick wool or felt fabrics to the fake wedding. They all wear black top hats, sometimes bowler hats but usually a black farmer's cap. The ladies wear black farmer's dresses with often a white lace apron in front. On their heads they wear white lace head caps for the farmer's wedding. Of course, the farmer's wedding guests are beautifully made up with the special farmer's wedding make-up. The men stick fake beards and fake moustaches on their faces and ensure long and wide fake sideburns. The ladies wear a blond farmer's wig under their farmer's wedding caps. Under their arm they carry a farmer's handbag that has been filled with consumption vouchers especially for this farmer's wedding.
Farmers' slip jackets and frac jackets with top hats
Fracjassen or frakjassen, depending on how you want to spell it, date back to the old farming period and are traditional farming clothing. The black fracjas was reserved for sheik occasions such as a farming wedding. Under the fracjassen, the farmers wore black waistcoats or black farming vests. On their heads belonged at least a black farming cap and if you had a little more to spare, a high black cylinder hat. The ladies were dressed in farmer's dresses with lace skirts. The farm maids often wore gray striped farmer's aprons. The sheik farmer's wives wore exuberant farmer's caps with lots of lace on their heads. For the children there were the farmer's children's dresses and for the boys the well-known blue farmer's smock with red handkerchief, so that they could also romp outside.
Farmer's aprons and farmer's wedding dresses
In almost all villages and cities in the South-East of the Netherlands, a farmer's wedding is celebrated during carnival. Neighbourhood associations also organise their own farmer's wedding. The men wear heavy black farmer's cloaks and the women wear dark clothing with beautiful white headgear and lace Bydemeier umbrellas. In short, a farmer's wedding is a farmer's party for young and old, where the farmer's carnival clothing and farmer's clothing are brought out.
