It’s a Dutch tradition: ending Carnaval with a tasty herring. Not only for Carnaval celebrators, but also for animals. In Dierenrijk zoo, the polar bears are served an oily fish on Ash Wednesday.
At the carnivalesque time of 11 minutes after 11 o’clock in the morning, the herring is served to the bears in the Mierlo Zoo. The polar bear mother Frimas, father Henk and their two cubs get the herring processed into special ice creams. Visitors also get fish with onions.
“Just like the carnivalists, polar bears love herring and that’s why we like to share this tradition with them”, Chantal Ermers of Dierenrijk says.
Traditionally, Lent begins right after Carnaval, a period during which no meat or sweets should be consumed according Christian tradition, but fish can still be eaten.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by: Bob
