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Fasching, Germany’s “crazy season,” continues through Tuesday with masquerade balls, dances, children’s parties and funny sessions.
The Rose Monday parades are a special highlight. The most famous ones are those leading through the main Fasching cities of Mainz, Köln and Düsseldorf. Spectators from Germany and throughout Europe come to these cities to watch the annual spectacle with decorated floats, bands, dancing and marching groups. Participants in vehicles throw out candy or hand out drinks to the crowds along the streets. It is traditional for revelers to sing, sway and dance during the 5-hour parades, which all start at 11:11 a.m.
The official Fasching greeting in Köln is “Alaaf,” and in Mainz and Düsseldorf it’s “Helau.”
The day is called Rose Monday because the organization committee of the Köln parade, which was founded in 1824, had its general membership meetings on Monday after the so-called Rose Sunday, also known as mid-lent Sunday or Laetare Sunday. Originally this day was the third Sunday before Easter. Since the eleventh century, the Pope dedicated a Golden Rose to a deserved personality that day. Since 1830, the day was called Rose Monday.
In order not to compete with the big Rose Monday parades, Ramstein-Miesenbach has its parade Shrove Tuesday. Other parades in the Pfalz are held Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Linden, and at 2 p.m. in Trippstadt, Dahn and Rodalben. Mannheim will start its parade at 2:11 p.m. Sunday.
For the first time, Kaiserslautern will offer an Indian tour starting at 11:11 a.m. Monday on Schillerplatz. Carnival officials will go on tour through the city and make stops in various pubs and restaurants. Around 2 p.m., a Rose Monday street Fasching party with disc jockeys will start on Schillerplatz.
Many towns offer outdoor Fasching events on Shrove Tuesday. Stages are put up, where local carnival associations entertain visitors with presentations by their dance groups and members holding funny speeches. Often the council members of the carnival associations invite prominent personalities of the town including the mayor to come on stage to make fun of them.
In Kaiserslautern, a stage will be set up near the Rathaus (city hall). The local Fasching association, KVK, will present its Fasching princess, dancing groups and other members. The official shout is “Kalau.”
A Fasching carnival with rides and booths will take place Saturday through Tuesday at the old theater parking lot next to the former Karstadt department store.
In most German states, children don’t have school Shrove Tuesday. And usually, people who work take off in the early afternoon. In most cases, employers allow them to do so, and stores, banks and official institutions close anyhow at 1 or 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Ash Wednesday will end the crazy season. Carnival association members and party-goers meet one more time for their traditional “Heringsessen,” the eating of herring. The herring is supposed to help ease hangovers.
Also on Ash Wednesday, Lent, a 40-day fasting period for Roman Catholics starts.
GOOD TO KNOW:
The German railroad company Deutsche Bahn offers the “Rheinland-Pfalz” ticket as a way to get to the Rose Monday parade in Mainz. The “Quer-Durchs-Land” ticket is available to get to the parade in Köln.
For details, call the travel center Kaiserslautern at 0631-3232310. Travelers are reminded to bring along their Vat form.
Throughout Germany, stores, banks and offices close at either 1 or 2 p.m. to give employees the chance to enjoy Fastnacht Tuesday activities.
The German-American Community Office in Kaiserslautern closes at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
