Carnival

In the original Roman calendar, the year ends with the festival of the Terminalia that falls on the 23rd of February. The epagomenae are those five days that exceed an ideal year of 360 days – ideal in the sense of the circle comprising 360 degrees. For pagan peoples virtually universally, these five days are ominous and do not belong to the year in some sense. What became expected was behaviour that contrasted with how one conducted oneself during ‘normal’ time. People might cross-dress, wear costumes, wait on servants, and so forth. The epagomenae are the original carnival. Normally, they begin with the Regifugium or ‘Flight of the King’ on the 24th of February, but because the natural year is something more than even 365 days, a leap day was required roughly every four years. After Caesar’s calendrical reforms, the leap day was inserted between the Terminalia and the epagomenal carnival. Because the Romans counted their dates backwards, and because the leap day was considered a second ‘sixth day before the Kalends of March’, we derive our designation of ‘bissextile’ for the leap year. And with 2012 being a leap year, the carnival began with the 25th of February rather than the 24th.

Carnival has always been a favourite celebration of mine, and we were fairly dutiful in that respect this time, but I am finding that unmitigated celebrating and feasting are not as easy as they once were when I was younger. I am happy that they have now concluded. Our first shamanic round of coffee shops occurred with the Quirinalia on 17 February – also known as the Feast of Fools and also including margaritas at l’Hôtel de l’Europe. With this being our first post-regime day, it proved to be too much for me, and I got ill though it was always pleasant.

I was still able to put together a dinner the following night for Santima, Warren, Stephan, Koen, Marco and Jim. An excellent sleep followed. And with Sunday being the next day and it being too lovely, we only worked in the basement for a while before going for a nice walk. We culminated our ambling with a visit to Nick and Ilonka.

We saw and enjoyed The Descendants. The following day (the 21st, the Feralia), we went for a nice dinner at Bill’s new place just off the Harlemmerstraat. He was calmer and looking healthier and happier with a new girlfriend, Hanna. On the Terminalia, I bought a goose and put it in the oven while we made the rounds. As I had thought I turned the stove off but hadn’t, it was a well-cooked goose by the end but still tastily edible.

For the Regifugium, we visited the Hermitage for the Flemish exhibition of Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens. This was stunning and excellent. Barney’s followed, then a collapse at home, and finally dinner with Jim at Rose’s Cantina (margaritas, Mexican cuisine and all). Sunday being the next day, we went for one of our Sunday walk-abouts with Stephan and Koen – this time starting at the Spaarndammerbuurt with its architecture of the Amsterdam School (1900-1930). We dined at Rodizio, a Brazilian restaurant. The following night, it was a raucous and delightfully chaotic dinner at the Tokyo Café on the Spui with Vicky, Fred and Jim. This day, and the next two were also devoted to a wild goose chase in search of a Dutch driver’s license for Richard – all to no avail.

Other unpleasanteries were learning about Shirley being diagnosed with anemia and requiring weekly or biweekly blood transfusions. Worse was the illness of Peg of Lise and Peg. She put up a most valiant battle, but at the end she could not tolerate what was necessary to re-build her liver. She passed on the 2nd of March – at least peacefully – and loved by many.

For our New Year’s celebrations, we went to the Jodendom exhibition at the Nieuwe Kerk on the Dam followed by the Amnesia coffee shop, margaritas at the American Bar, and Chimay Blau at the Little Buddha beer bar. We ran into Stephan and Koen as we were heading home from this last. And so began our year.

Happy New Year!