It also inspired noisy costumed parades and masked balls; satirical and often impertinent plays, speeches, and newspaper columns; and generally excessive behaviour—all of which are still common elements of contemporary Fasching celebrations.
In Germany, particularly in the Rhineland area, the tradition can be traced to medieval times where many countries existed under harsh rules. Kings, princes and even smaller potentates maintained their own courts. In doing so, they flaunted before each other their own pomp and splendor at the expense of their population. They would make a mock government of eleven people, as well as other officials.
On that day there is a large parade that concludes with the ceremonial taking of the Rathaus town hall , a custom duplicated in many other carnival locations. See the box below for more about the necktie-cutting tradition that probably developed from the storming of the city hall.
The historical reasons for this are unclear, but carnival in Protestant regions generally breaks with the Catholic Lenten tradition and tends to be more of a secular event. But even in some Catholic regions, particularly in Switzerland and southwest Germany, what is known as Alte Fastnacht or Bauernfastnacht takes place later than in most places, following the old date for Carnival set by the Synod of Benevento in , making Fastnacht fall on the Sunday following Ash Wednesday, rather than the official date used today.
Following the Swiss timekeeping tradition, the Basel celebration lasts exactly 72 hours, ending precisely at a. The Basler Fasnacht begins with the early morning parade known as the Morgestraich. Unlike almost any other carnival parade, the Morgestraich takes place in the dark. All electric illumination in the city is turned off precisely at a.
As mentioned earlier, the Swiss cities of Basel, Bern and Zurich have their Alte Fastnacht observance later than everyone else.
In Ash Wednesday falls on February In some Swiss cities Alte Fasnacht is a week or so after Fasching elsewhere. There are good-sized carnival celebrations in Mobile, Alabama since ! The Mardi Gras celebration in St. Louis, Missouri is a relatively recent development that only began in the s. What began as a private party at a bar has now become a rather large event with corporate sponsors. Usually pancakes are served for dessert. Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before Lenten fasting.
In England pancake races are held in many villages and towns on Pancake Tuesday. The participants, usually women or men dressed as women, race down the street with frying pans, tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan.
Since , the most famous pancake race in the UK has been held at Olney in Buckinghamshire, which is considered the birthplace of the custom. Participating IHOP restaurants give away free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes for a limited time. Back Holidays and Celebrations. Legal Notice: We are not responsible for the content of external links. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Fasching and Karneval. Submit a Comment Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment.
Search This Site Search for:. Categories Berlin 37 Book reviews 17 Expat issues Daily life Medical matters 37 Red tape and bureaucracy 57 The euro and money matters 24 Work and employment matters 57 German language German vocabulary learning German 38 History and culture Tips, advice, suggestions Internet and the Web 1 Travel and transportation 18 Uncategorized The evening, costumes, dancing and drinks, are meant to celebrate and enjoy the craziness and freedom of that night.
Karneval in Cologne is under the reign of a Dreigestirn , consisting of the Prince, the Bauer and the Jungfrau. Orden medals — every Karneval Club creates its own medal for each season. Performances : Show dance performances during the events — Some performances can be really artistic while others are just slapstick.
These traditional themes symbolize the eager anticipation of the growing season, a time farmers and consumers long for. Goodbye to candies, Koelsch beer, and costumes. Hello to lean and healthy herring dishes , meatless meals , and mineral water. So, it is just natural, that in the midnight hours between Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, there must be one last occasion to raise the glasses before the Lenten season of fastening and purification begins. The booze, kisses with strangers, the occasional fling, the headaches, and hangovers all will come home to roost and repentance is required.
If you happen to be in Cologne or other German Carnival capitals, here is where to go. To accompany this great fun, street vendors offer simple German fare to keep Carnival enthusiasts happy. On every corner, one can buy fresh pretzels, hot sausages Bratwurst or Krapfen , the German answer to donuts. Finally, try a tasty Rosehip Jam! These jams are delicious and are oftentimes used to make donuts and other sweets for Karneval! More German Holidays.
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