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From Holley VanStaalduinen in Germany

I believe it was on October 31, as I was trying to explain to the Germans what Halloween was, that I heard about Fastnacht. Everyone told me "Oh yah that's like Fastnacht in February." Although, as they explained more, the picture of Mardi Gras came slowly to me.

Mardi Gras wasn't too far off. It is two weeks of parties, everyone in costumes, having drank too much. On weekdays, parties and on weekends parties and parades. On Shrove Monday is the biggest parade of the two weeks. It is close to four hours long. Each group in the parade has a distinct costume and wooden mask.

This night is one of the biggest celebrated of the year. Discos that usually open at nine p.m. open at four in the afternoon and the party lasts until at least four in the morning. Bars decorated, people young and old celebrating, dancing, singing, this mood comes only one time in the year. These festivities are so important to the Germans that many schools have a week off.

The tradition of Fastnacht started in the 1500's. It is the two weeks before Ash Wednesday, giving everyone one last chance to celebrate before Lent begins. The masks are very traditional. Many of the masks worn today are very old, and expensive (starting at $300 and going into the thousands). In Frieburg, Fastnacht is not as strongly celebrated as in many other cities. In many smaller cities throughout the Black Forest there is much more tradition than here, but in a few bigger cities (especially in Cologne and Bassel, Switzerland) the tradition has also been strongly carried out.

If someone can compare this to Halloween, I don't know about that. It is something like this that is a true example of the culture, and gives each place an identity. Fastnacht...if you haven't already experienced it, perhaps one day you will.

Holley VanStaalduinen

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