Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria
variety custom tradition associated carnival celebration germanspeaking country germany switzerland austria vary considerably country country also one small region another reflected various name given festivity occurring lent part eastern southern germany well austria carnival called fasching franconia badenwürttemberg well part germany carnival called fastnacht fassenacht fasnet switzerland fasnacht germany carnival tradition mostly celebrated predominantly roman catholic southern western part country protestant north traditionally know festival low saxon name fastelavend ˈfastl̩ˌɒːvɱ̍t fastelabend ˈfastl̩ˌɒːbm̩t fastlaam also spelled fastlom ipa ˈfastl̩ɒːm name imported denmark fastelavn related vastenoavond lowsaxonspeaking part netherlands traditionally connected farm servant generally young men going house house village collecting sausage egg bacon consumed festivity evening going house house wore mask made noise old tradition vanished many place place influence german carnival tradition came resemble carnival parade carnival season also known fifth season begin year november finish ash wednesday following year main festivity happening around rosenmontag rose monday although festivity party start early beginning january actual carnival week start fat thursday weiberfastnacht ash wednesday germany big german carnival parade held weekend especially rosenmontag day shrove tuesday sometimes also shrove tuesday faschingsdienstag veilchendienstag suburb larger carnival city germanspeaking country essentially distinct variation carnival rhenish carnival west germany centred city cologne mainz düsseldorf alemannic swabianalemannic fastnacht swabia southwestern germany switzerland alsace vorarlberg western austria rhenish carnival rheinischer karneval mainly state north rhinewestphalia rhinelandpalatinate famous celebration parade costume ball cologne carnival largest famous cologne düsseldorf mainz held public medium germany three carnival stronghold carnival celebration also widespread elsewhere rhineland rhineland festivity developed especially strongly since way express subversive antiprussian antifrench thought time occupation parody mockery modern carnival began founding carnival club cologne city village rhineland individual carnival tradition nationally famous carnival cologne köln düsseldorf mainz rhineland culmination carnival around rosenmontag considered fifth season year club organize show event called sitzung club member invited guest performing dance comedy song costume around mainz frequently performed piece music sitzung narrhallamarsch committee organizes event town consists president junior member called council eleven elferrat number eleven elf german significant carneval celebration acronym french revolution value egalité liberté fraternité carnival spirit temporarily suspended advent christmas pick earnest new year time merrymaking street officially declared open alter markt cologne carnival thursday beginning lent main event street carnival take place period thursday ash wednesday ash wednesday carnival thursday called altweiber old woman day düsseldorf wieverfastelovend womens day cologne celebrates beginning female presence carnival began washerwoman celebrated workless day thursday carnival founded committee strengthen presence still maledominated carnival celebration city woman black storm city hall get key citytownhalls mayor many place fool take city hall municipal government wild woman cut men tie wherever get hold also tradition woman allowed kiss every man pass way following day parade street organized local carnival club highlight carnival period however rose monday rosenmontag although rose monday official holiday rhineland practice public life come halt almost workplace closed biggest parade rose monday famous rosenmontagsumzug rose monday parade eg cologne düsseldorf mainz many city event hundred thousand people celebrate street even temperature low dressed costume many region special carnival cry cologne bonn aachen alaaf düsseldorf mainz helau carnival netherlands partially derived rhenish carnival swabianalemannic carnival known fastnacht fastennacht mean eve fastenzeit lent variant name fasnacht fasnet fasent fastnacht held badenwürttemberg part bavaria alsace german switzerland austrian vorarlberg festival start thursday ash wednesday known region schmutziger donnerstag schmotziger donnerstag schmutzigedunschdig fettdonnerstag standard german schmutzig mean dirty actually name alemannic dialect schmotz mean lard schmalz fat continues part shrove monday though often differently called eg güdismontag literally paunch monday lucerne last day ash wednesday fat tuesday mardi gras lucerne known güdisdienstag literally paunch tuesday often intense fasnacht day also germany used time year end winter last meat previous year schmalz lard rendered fat consumed start lent name – fasnacht – different variation reference time coming fasting time lent however protestant basel basler fasnacht astonishingly begin monday ash wednesday carnival disambiguation carnival society schembart carnivalm th th century carnival nuremberg