CARNIVAL IN GERMANY COMES ALIVE FOR VISITORS

This year, Germany’s pre-Lenten Carnival season begins in early February. It is a time of wild parties, satirical theatre, elaborate parades, hand-carved masks and costume balls – often called the “Fifth Season”, officially starting in earlier November. Festivities are low key until the “Tolle Tage” (Crazy Days), which climax on “Rosenmontag” (Rose Monday, February 7, 2005), the 42nd day before Easter, with big street parades and elaborately decorated floats.

Although Carnival is associated with festivals of the Christian Church, it can be traced back to pagan times when it was celebrated to drive out the evil spirits of winter and encourage the coming of spring and good crops. Ugly masks worn for this purpose are still worn in carnival festivals in southern Germany. Carnival was also a pagan Roman festival, which may explain why Cologne and Mainz, two ancient cities with Roman history, have such large carnival celebrations.

Every region in Germany puts its own spin on the carnival season: in the Rhineland area around Cologne and Düsseldorf, they celebrate “Karneval” with elaborate parades and comedy stage performances. Cries of “Alaaf,” Cologne’s Carnival cheer, resound starting on Thursday, February 4, 2005, at the “Weiberfastnacht” (Women’s Carnival), where women run up and playfully kiss the cheeks of costumed strangers and cut off the ties of any man who dares to walk the streets in a suit. The saying goes: “If you are not a fool on Carnival you will be a fool for the rest of the year.”

On Rose Monday, scores of decorated floats, about 130 bands, hundreds of horses, brightly clad groups – all pass through streets packed with millions of onlookers. Mainz hosts the children’s costume parade, with nearly 4,000 costumed youngsters, many riding elaborately decorated floats, taking over the streets.

On Friday, February 4, “Henkelmännchen International” is a party in Cologne like no other! Visitors from around the world can buy tickets and be introduced, in English, to the Carnival satire and theatre, costuming and traditions, as well as such Cologne specialties as “Koelsch” beer. One of the highlights will be the musical performances by two of the famous carnival associations from Cologne. At the end, visitors receive the Carnival Diploma.

In the Black Forest in southern Germany they celebrate “Allemanische Fasnacht”, with hand-carved wooden masks and street festivals. Very popular are the “Wise Fool” masks with a smooth pale face, scary witches with grotesque features, animal masks and masks of mythological characters from local lore and history. Groups of people emerge, all wearing the same costume, walking the same and behaving the same.

In Munich, “Fasching” is celebrated with more than 1,000 costume balls that sparkle with light and festivity. Always popular are the “Black-and-White” balls, “The Washerwomen’s Ball,” and the Gaudi-Wurm parade on Monday, February 7, 2005

For more information on Carnival festivals in Germany and general information on sights and attractions, please contact the German National Tourist Office’s toll-free number, 1-877-315-6237, send an e-mail to gntonyc@d-z-t.com, or visit GNTO’s Web site www.cometogermany.com

 

January 24, 2005   Posted in: Germany