Coming down from the highs of the winter holidays can leave you a bit gloomy. For a month we toasted gluhwein mugs at Christmas markets, had a long Christmas week, then a week later lit up the skies with wild fireworks. Luckily if you get can through the dull January, in Germany you can look forward to the very colorful and boisterous Fasching!
Living in the States the only pre-lent celebrations I have been to was Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Then moving to Wiesbaden I learned about dressing like cowboys, clowns, animals and other silly costumes while catching candy from vibrant parade floats. However, going to celebrate in Schramberg, Germany was a totally different and awesome experience!
Schramberg is in the Swabian-Alemannic area of Germany and they call this celebration, Fastnacht. This word comes from the old German word ‘fasen’ which means to me be foolish, wild or silly.
Our day started early and we were on the road in the early hours so we were there for the beginning of the festivities. We arrived and there was plenty of parking around the outskirts of the old town. The old town is blocked off by barriers and also tables where you have to pay a small fee to enter. We walked around and to my surprise we learned about the first event of the Fastnacht!
The event is called ‘Da-Bach-Na-Fahrt’ and participants build their own rafts for a hysterical but highly competitive boat race! Each year they have 40 decorated rafts that strive to make the 500 meter river course. The rafts are all on display first thing in the morning and everyone walks around checking them out. We saw so many cleaver creations from Star Wars to Barbie to Never-ending Story! You can tell so much time and work has gone into making floats.
The race was about to start and all of the floats made their way up the river. The river was packed with people ready to watch the race. You were lucky to get a spot where you could see the river.
Then they were off! We stood right at an area after a small waterfall so they zipped passed us! Sometimes they didn’t make the rough waters after the small decline, and the floats fell apart. Burr! It was cold enough out and that water must have been freezing for them!
The race went on for quite a while so I went and got some yummy funnel cake at a vendor’s stand.
Right after the boat races, we went to find a spot to stand to watch the parade. As a seasoned veteran of going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year growing up, I know the best spot to find is in front of a tree or a sign post so nobody can push up on you from behind when the parade starts.
The parade started out like any other parade with floats, confetti and bands.
Then in group after group came the traditional Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht wooden masks!
They were very interactive with the crowd and you had to work for your candy most of the time. People were yelling “Hexe!” (Witch) at them and they would come over and get right in your face as you keep screaming at them.
Groups of the masked witches were very mischievous and they would go up to teenagers and tie their shoe laces together or they would steal their hats. They would also grab teenage girls and throw them in their jail on wheels, which also spun around and then let them out a few minutes down the parade route.
The cats would come by and rub their fur wands on you, then give you a piece of bread out of their baskets. (That last sentence sounds like something right out of Alice in Wonderland.)
Kids got a lot of attention and candy given directly to them, rather than thrown at you in other parades. My daughter didn’t know what to make of the scary mask, but she liked the candy offer.
The most mischievous group came at the end and they looked like black devils. They left the parade route, one sat on the food vendor’s roof and one actually went into someone’s house on the second floor!
We had an incredible time and I will never forget the fun way the Swabian-Alemannic celebrate Fastnacht!
This year the boat races and parade is on 7 February 2016!!
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
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