Carnival in Germany is the time of year where Germans are allowed to lose control. (source). Although it looks like it comes from the German for "the Eve of Lent", the name actually has its roots in the Old German word "fasen"(to be foolish, silly or wild). On this unofficial holiday, women dress up in costumes and misbehave in harmless ways and symbolically takecontrol for a day. Why is carnival such a crazy time for Germans? If this guide was helpful to you, and saved you time of research, please consider supporting this website bybuying us a coffeeas a small donation. photo by DanieleCivello / Creative Commons via Flickr Creative Commons. Some festivities would require people to wear scary masks to drive out the evil spirits and welcome a good crop season. Ash Wednesday marks the end of carnival and the first day of fasting. 11. The motto of the Aachen carnival is Spass an der Freud (Have fun with joy in your heart), and the Aacheners do just that, with their carnival being lighthearted and fun. Required fields are marked *. Traditionally, it was not only a feast before Lent but also a time during which the rules and order of daily life were subverted. After the Reformation, Protestant areas of Europe took exception to such Roman Catholic excesses, and carnival practices began to die out in them. The royals are surrounded by MANY supporters that have various functions (usually in a funny way)., e.g. Carnival : 11 Interesting Facts about the German Karneval / Fasching, Meredith is a coffee and cake-loving Canadian living in southern Germany. Everyone traveling in or through Cologne at this day wearing a tie is bound to wear only a stump by the end of the day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Prinzregententorte Bavarian Layered Chocolate Cake. Everything you need to know about German Karneval A price and princess were selected to rule the country during the Fasching season. Fastnacht isoften referred to as the dark side of the carnival, with more unusual traditions. Rose Monday - the main spectacle of carnival - gives a fresh start to those nursing hangovers from their weekend antics.