Jelly-filled donuts, lively marching bands, stand-up comedians, outrageous costumes can only mean one thing: the season Karneval is here. Karneval, also know as Fasching, or Marti Gras in other parts of the world, originated as a Christian celebration before the season of Lent. Full of feasting, music, parades, costumes and drinking, it is the last celebration before the solemn time of Lent. While the official season of Karneval starts on elften elften elf Uhr elf (11th November at 11:11am,) the larger festivities take place during the Tolle Tage (the middle February) and climax on Rosenmontag and Fastnacht (Fat Tuesday), or 42 days before Easter. Karneval is celebrated all over Germany, but is mainly centered in the Rhineland area and in the city of Köln (Cologne.)
During the season of Karneval, the whole city of Köln shuts down. Parades and parties, featuring kick line dancers, standup comedians, and big bands, are daily activities. Stores are bursting with sequin covered costumes, elaborate hats, and colorful accessories. Pfannkuchen (donuts) filled with Pflaumenmuss, Kirsch- und Anannasmarmalade (plum, cherry and pineapple jelly,) are sold on every corner. Confetti and streamers line the sidewalks, and it is more common to see people strolling down the street in costume than not. I visited Köln recently during the beginning of January, and the city was already full of the Karneval spirit. In Köln, Karneval is the most important celebration of the year.
Pineapple jelly Pfannkuchen
Standing in front of the Dom in Köln this January
Karneval in Berlin, however, has nowhere near the excitement of Köln. Berlin is located far away from the costumed, partying masses, singing and laughing by the frozen Rhine. Traditionally, Karneval in Berlin is a time to sit at home with a warm cup of tea in front of the TV, and watch the commotion in this western city.
Relaxing on the couch in my Grandparents living room, Oma, Antje and I spent Friday afternoon doing just that. While watching a news report on one of the parades in Köln, Oma leaned towards me. “In German we have four seasons: Frühling, Sommer, Herbst und Winter,” she said, “but in Köln, they have five.” Cocking my head, I looked at her. “The fifth season is Karneval,” explained Antje with a smile. “Es ist für sie die wichtigste Jahreszeit. For them, it is the most important season,” responded Oma while turning back to face the TV. This comment only made me further anticipate that evening, as I was invited to the Karneval themed 19th Birthday party of a friend of mine.
Like Halloween, the Karneval costume is critical; and just like American teens, Germans are prone to dress as the typical characters. Bow-wearing rodents and felines, half-dressed belly dancers, high heeled cowgirls and sailors were plentiful. The prize for the best male and female costume, however, went to two boys dresses as butterflies and a pair of girls wearing hand-crafted Ghostbusters suits that were appropriately equipped with ski masks and backpacks decorated with different tubes, lights and buttons. My personal favorite, though, had to be the boy who went as the number Pi. With a hand-painted shirt bearing the famous, long, non-repeating number, and formula covered spheres, cylinders, and prisms hanging from his clothing, he was hilarious.
The Ghostbusters
My favorite costume: the number Pi
I decided to go as a simple, yet creative bouquet of flowers. Decked-out a in flower printed skirt, wearing large, dangling, “flower-power” earrings, a colorful lei, and holding a bouquet of purple daisies, I was ready for my first Karneval and another amazing German party.
With the Birthday girl, Lea
In Germany, the drinking age for beer and wine is 16, and 18 for hard alcohol. As a non-drinker, I found these age-restrictions surprisingly loose at first, however, now I am beginning to agree with them. Based on my experience in Berlin and earlier in Austin, I have noticed that Germans, unlike Americans, do not drink to get drunk. Drinking in Germany is a social event; it is an opportunity to relax, hang out with friends and have a good time. No one got smashed at this Birthday party. No one was sick, or out of control, and everyone was safely able to make their way home that night (thanks, of course, to public transportation!) Everyone was responsible and careful, something that, in my experience, usually does not always occur in the USA. It was good, clean fun, which, honestly, is the best kind.
A partial group photo from the party
As I was responsibly enjoying Karneval in Berlin, the Germans in Köln were celebrating a little differently. The parades and shows in Köln that were shown on TV now were even crazier than the ones shown before. With everyday, the dances seemed to becoming more complicated, the music peppier, the costumes more outrageous, and the jokes worse. The Birthday party had helped me feel more festive and I found myself starting to get into the Karneval spirit. Instead of watching the festivities from the warm comfort of our living room, I decided to venture out and visit Berlin’s Karneval parade.
While the parade in KuDam (old center of West Berlin) did not compare to the parades in Köln, it did give me a small taste of what a street Karneval celebration is really about. By the time I had arrived, children and adults alike were gathered along the street waiting for the parade to begin. Inching my way to the front, I looked down the street and saw that I was just in time. The parade consisted of different floats followed by elaborately dressed dance teams. Each float was sponsored by a Karneval Verein (club,) and was colorfully painted and decorated with each club’s motto. Karneval Vereins are clubs that meet year round to plan and prepare for Karneval. Together, the members decorate their floats, practice dances and songs, and design their costumes. While the younger members of the clubs danced and paraded through the streets, the older members stood inside in the floats, throwing sweets into the crowd as they road by.
An example of a Karneval Verein float
Of course, being Germany, there has to be a Fußball float as well!
One of the dance teams posing for a picture
in their traditional, Karneval costumes
The König, or King, of the parade in Berlin
wearing a traditional, kölnischer Hut (hat)
No sooner had the first bonbons entered the air, than all of the children standing beside me pulled out umbrellas, turned them upside down, and began to capture the falling candy. Caramels, bags of chips and popcorn, bars of chocolate, roses, small stuffed animals, and even packaged sausages rained down from the floats. Grasping in the air, I desperately tired to catch a flying stuffed bear, but in vain. It was quickly caught in the overturned umbrella of a five-year-old standing next to me. A rose was tossed into the crowed, but again, it was snatched-up by another well-prepared child. After that, I gave up trying to gather souvenirs and resolved to instead just enjoy the parade; these children were definitely more skilled in the art of bonbon catching than I. Empty handed, but full of the Karneval season, I headed home that afternoon smiling. I had experience another fascinating German celebration.
Watching the parade march by the Gedächtnis Kirche
(WWII memorial in KuDam)
Tomorrow is Aschenmittwoch, and Karneval will be vorbei, or over. Until next year, Karneval, or as they say in Köln, “Alaf!”
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