Fasching in Breitenbrunn, Germany

We were there today. You can find some more photos and infos about Fasching or Carnival here and here...Enjoy your stay in my simple place!!!






ORIGIN of NAME

The origin of the name "carnival" is disputed. According to one theory, it comes from the Latin carrus navalis ("ship cart"),^[1] referring to a cart in a religious parade, such as a cart in a religious procession at the annual festivities in honor of the god Apollo. Other sources, however, suggest that the name comes from the Italian carne levare or similar, meaning "to remove meat", since meat is prohibited during Lent.^[2] Another theory states that the word comes from the Late Latin expression carne vale, which means "farewell to meat", signifying that those were the last days when one could eat meat before the fasting of Lent.

Fasching in Germany and Austria

Germany, especially the western part (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) is famous for Karneval celebrations such as parades and costume balls. Whilst these events are widespread in places such as Wattenscheid, Krefeld, Aachen, Mönchengladbach, Duisburg, Bonn, Eschweiler, Odenheim, Bocholt and Cleves, only Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz are called carnival "strongholds" in the public media. In the East and South of Germany and Austria carnival is called Fasching and especially Munich developed a special kind of celebration. In Franconia and the southwest-parts and also some other parts of Germany a carnival is called Fastnacht.

Although the festival and party season in Germany starts as early as the beginning of January, the actual carnival week starts on the Thursday ("Altweiberfastnacht") before Ash Wednesday. German Carnival parades are held on the weekend before and especially on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), the day before Shrove Tuesday, and sometimes also on Shrove Tuesday ("Faschingsdienstag") in the suburbs of larger carnival cities. The carnival session begins each year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m. and finishes on Ash Wednesday. Most festivities happen around Rosenmontag; this time is also called the Fifth Season.

Rhineland

In the Rhineland festivities developed especially strongly, since it was a way to express subversive anti-Prussian and anti-French thoughts in times of occupation, through parody and mockery. Modern carnival there began in 1823 with the founding of a Carnival Club in Cologne. Most cities and villages of the Rhineland have their own individual Carnival traditions. Nationally famous is the Carnival in Cologne (Köln), Duesseldorf and Mainz.

In the Rhineland, the Carnival season is considered to be the "fifth season of the year", starting at November 11th at exactly 11:11 a.m.(elften elften elf uhr elf- starting time in German)-clubs organize "sessions" which are show events called Prunksitzung with club members or invited guests performing dance, comedy and songs in fancy dresses.

The main event is the street carnival that takes place in the period between the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday. Carnival Thursday is called "Altweiber" (old women) or "Wieverfastelovend" (The women's day), in many places Carnival-"fools" take over city halls or municipal government, "wild" women cut mens ties wherever they get hold of them. On the following days, there are parades in the street organized by the local carnival clubs. The highlight of the carnival period however is Rose Monday. Rose Monday is not officially a holiday in the Rhineland, but it is in practice, as most public life comes to a rest and almost all workplaces are closed and shops are only open in the morning or not at all. The biggest parades are on Rose Monday, the famous "Rosenmontagszug" (Rose Monday Parade), e.g. in Cologne, Dusseldorf and many other cities. During these events, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate in the streets at low temperatures, most of them dressed up in fancy clothes.