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TWIG - If you visit a town in Germany’s Rhineland or in the
south-western region during the supposedly dark days of winter
you’re likely to find the whole place thrown topsy-turvy. That's
because the period before Ash Wednesday is known as Carnival or
the fifth season.
Carnival - known in German as Karneval, Fastnacht, Fasching,
Fassenacht, or Fasnet, depending on the region - has its roots
in the spring celebrations of pre-Christian times, when people
wore masks to scare away winter spirits and welcomed the rebirth
of nature with singing and dancing. Today it is observed mainly
in Catholic regions as a season of feasting and fun before the
fasting period of Lent.
Organized revelry in the Rhineland
While some localities like Cologne mark the beginning of the
season on November 11 at 11:11 a.m., the highpoint always occurs
in the six days before Ash Wednesday when everyone from
government officials to school children give themselves over to
organized revelry. People may be laughing and having a good
time, but for the hundreds of Carnival societies in the region,
the season of festive sessions, balls and parades is serious
business.
The Thursday before Ash Wednesday is known as "women’s Carnival"
in some regions. Women literally assume power and symbolically
storm the town halls in many places. Men are advised to wear an
old tie since the women are liable to cut it off on and
compensate the bereft wearer with a kiss.
This particular Thursday is known in other regions as fat or
dirty Thursday. The name goes back to the tradition of
slaughtering an animal on this day for the last meal before the
fasting period. To prevent the fat from going bad people cooked
food which was particularly rich in fat or else used the grease
for baking.
Sooty Friday gained its name from an old custom according to
which children daubed their faces with soot. Fewer festivities
are held on this day.
Rose Monday is the climax of the Rhineland Carnival, with huge
parades held in n the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Mainz.
Millions of people line the streets singing, dancing or just
rocking too and fro. The day is not an official public holiday,
but few people are expected to show up at work or school.
The parades feature floats that poke satirical fun at
politicians and their policies or otherwise comment on the
issues of the day. Costumed musicians, dance troupes and mounted
guards are also part of the fun.
Fools with rules
Each city and town has its own Carnival traditions, but in
Southwest Germany, the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival differs
considerably from the Rhineland version. In 1924, the
Association of Swabian-Alemannic Fools’ Guilds was formed with
the aim of reducing the influence of the Rhineland carnival in
the areas of Freiburg and Tübingen as well as part of
German-speaking Switzerland.
The Swabian-Alemannic carnival is governed by particularly
strict rules. Generally speaking, only those who have lived in
the city for more than 15 years can take part. The masks and the
costume also have to conform to historical precedents – unlike
at the carnival celebrations in Cologne or Mainz. Accordingly,
every fools’ guild has carnival masks, usually intricately
carved from wood, which are handed down from generation to
generation.
Maintaining Sorb traditions
In eastern Germany, the Sorbs, a Slavic nation that settled in
the Lusatia region, celebrate the Zapust or Shrovetide at this
time of year. Zampern, which means going from house to house and
collecting gifts, is an important part the festivities. A noisy
procession wends its way through the village with the aim of
driving out the spirits of winter. The merry group in fancy
dress stops at every farm to ask for gifts of bacon, eggs and
money. To show their gratitude the revellers treat the farmer to
a glass of schnapps and invite the lady of the house to a dance.
The boisterous celebration is held every year on a weekend
between mid January and the beginning of March. Another aspect
of Zapust is a procession of girls dressed in traditional
costumes and boys in suits who go around the village visiting
those residents who have contributed most to the community such
as the mayor, the pastor or local craftsmen. In the evening the
young people gather in the village pub for a bumper egg feast
and all those taking part tuck in to a hearty meal of bacon and
scrambled egg.
Republished with permission from "The Week in Germany"
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