Hi Y'all,
last week I published a Carnival related post on my German blog and wanted to translate it as I usually do. But somehow that didn't work and I procrastinated a bit. So I decided to start from the beginning and tell you something about that time of the year...
Carnival in Germany generally shows two (area-related) tendencies which both are connected to Christianity (maybe this is the reason hubby doesn't like it, even if he never experienced it in my home town) which means there are always 6 weeks between the last day of Carnival and Easter (40 days fasting period). But this is where the similarity ends.
In the south of Germany they do some kind of chasing away the winter. It is of heathen origin and people wear wooden masks and heavy bells and many of them dress up as terrifying witches - and they call it Fasnet/Fassenacht/Fasching instead of Carnival. I know that it exists, but I cannot connect - maybe it's because I was born and raised to the other concept...
In the west of Germany Carnival is more political - people rebel against authorities, they criticize the current situation, they speak openly about things which don't run smoothly - these are the origins of Carnival in the Rhineland area. To parody the authorities they organize themselves like in the military but do the greeting in the wrong way and put the hat on with the wrong side facing for instance. The wagons of the great Monday's parade are often adorned according to the latest news and sometimes these spects are even reflected in people's costumes. There are more examples in tons of Carnival songs - e.g. lyrics by Brings (Cologne band): Sometimes we are red, sometimes we are black, but when it turns brown, we will stand and attack. For those who are not familiar with the colors - red stands for left parties, black for the conservatives and brown for the very right wing with which we have to cope with, unfortunately. A second example is from another famous Cologne band called Bläck Fööss (Bare Feet) where they describe Cologne as a melting pot since the early days of Roman empire and how we all benefit from that - now, everybody speaks the same language and Carnival is celebrated altogether. I like that!
Think what you like about Carnival but I see it as an important way to step out of your every-day-life, to leave your worries behind for a few days, to meet old friends and to talk naturally. I am pretty sure that home has not always to do with a postal code but with your mother tongue and dialect. This is for me the dialect from the Cologne area (= Kölsch) and as soon as I hear it and sing the many, many songs, I feel at home. Which I did a lot the Carnival weekend and it was awesome!
In the south of Germany they do some kind of chasing away the winter. It is of heathen origin and people wear wooden masks and heavy bells and many of them dress up as terrifying witches - and they call it Fasnet/Fassenacht/Fasching instead of Carnival. I know that it exists, but I cannot connect - maybe it's because I was born and raised to the other concept...
In the west of Germany Carnival is more political - people rebel against authorities, they criticize the current situation, they speak openly about things which don't run smoothly - these are the origins of Carnival in the Rhineland area. To parody the authorities they organize themselves like in the military but do the greeting in the wrong way and put the hat on with the wrong side facing for instance. The wagons of the great Monday's parade are often adorned according to the latest news and sometimes these spects are even reflected in people's costumes. There are more examples in tons of Carnival songs - e.g. lyrics by Brings (Cologne band): Sometimes we are red, sometimes we are black, but when it turns brown, we will stand and attack. For those who are not familiar with the colors - red stands for left parties, black for the conservatives and brown for the very right wing with which we have to cope with, unfortunately. A second example is from another famous Cologne band called Bläck Fööss (Bare Feet) where they describe Cologne as a melting pot since the early days of Roman empire and how we all benefit from that - now, everybody speaks the same language and Carnival is celebrated altogether. I like that!
Think what you like about Carnival but I see it as an important way to step out of your every-day-life, to leave your worries behind for a few days, to meet old friends and to talk naturally. I am pretty sure that home has not always to do with a postal code but with your mother tongue and dialect. This is for me the dialect from the Cologne area (= Kölsch) and as soon as I hear it and sing the many, many songs, I feel at home. Which I did a lot the Carnival weekend and it was awesome!
Of course where there's light, there is shadow, but it always depends on how you deal with it. And for me, these days have so much to do with solidarity/social cohesion, friendship, celebrating and enjoying together which is vital for your soul, even if it sounds so trivial.
Since a couple of years people have been sticking to the fasting period even if they aren't religious. Thus they stay away from various things: Some do without chocolate or alcohol, some give up TV or Facebook or YouTube, you name it. I personally didn't feel the need to forgo something but in principle the concept is worth thinking about - at least to become aware of certain habits.
Anyway, we celebrated a lot - so the fasting is really worth it :-)
I cut my bestie Bine from this picture due to privacy reasons but rest assured that we had a superfun time (reference to another well-known song** by Brings). Although I didn't stay the whole week in my hometown, storm and rain could not drag me from driving there on Sunday. On Monday we had the huuuuuge parade and partied on in the garage of my bestie's parents, and on Tuesday I went home to hubby and dogs. Until then we sang a lot, danced a lot, laughed a lot, dressed up without having to play a role, and made sure we stayed hydrated in one way or the other :-)
Oh, and by the way, one of this year's favorite costume was Minnie (or Maxie) Mouse, therefore I already removed the ears from the headband and repurposed my dress as a nightie. Maybe I have to reconsider a cactus costume for next year...
Fare thee well, dear friends!
* Dom = Cologne Cathedral
** I could go on for hours about Cologne songs and music scene but that would be too much...
Fare thee well, dear friends!
* Dom = Cologne Cathedral
** I could go on for hours about Cologne songs and music scene but that would be too much...
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