For many people not native to ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Oeteldonk and Carnival are a magical time of year. Magical, but mostly confusing. To make sense of the play of carnival, we’ve answered some of the frequently asked questions! Oeteldonkers take pride in their strict moral and cultural code, straying from this code might result in being shunned. Everything is, of course, slightly ironic.

Q: I know a word in the local dialect! Oetel means frog, right?
A: No. The frog was chosen as a symbol of Den Bosch during  carnival, because the swamps surrounding the city are filled with them and because frogs, like catholics in medieavel times, fasted during the winter. Frogs go into hibernation, catholics fast between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The word Oetel might refer to bishop Godschalk  who wanted to ban carnival, he was born in a village called Den Dungen. A common last name in Den Dungen is