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Fasching, Germany’s “crazy season,” continues through Tuesday with masquerade balls, dances, children’s parties and funny sessions.
Special Fasching highlights are the Rose Monday parades. The most famous parades are those leading through the main Fasching cities of Mainz, Köln and Düsseldorf. Spectators from Germany and throughout Europe will come to these cities to watch the annual spectacle with decorated floats, bands, dancing and marching groups. Participants in vehicles will 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 five-hour parades, which all start at 11:11 a.m.
The official Fasching greeting in Köln and Düsseldorf is “Alaaf,” and in Mainz 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 11th 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, Zweibrücken and Grünstadt have their parades at 2 p.m. on Shrove Tuesday. Other parades in the Pfalz are held at 2 p.m. Saturday in Frankenthal and 2 p.m. Sunday in Linden, Trippstadt, Dahn and Rodalben. The parade in Ludwigshafen starts at
1:11 p.m. Sunday.
Many towns offer outdoor Fasching events on Shrove Tuesday. Stages will be put up, where local carnival associations will 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 on Willy-Brandt-Platz, next to the Rathaus (city hall). The local Fasching association, KVK, will present its Fasching princess, Alexandra, dancing groups and other members. The official shout is “Kalau.”
In most German states, children don’t have school on 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 will meet one more time for their traditional “Heringsessen,” or the eating of herring. 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 for those who want to travel by train to Mainz. The ticket costs €28 for up to five people. The Ticket 24 (for individuals) or Ticket 24+ is available as a way to get to the parade in Ludwigshafen, Frankenthal and Dahn. For details, call the
travel center Kaiserslautern at 0631-3232310.
Throughout Germany, stores, banks and offices will close at either 1 or
2 p.m. Tuesday to give employees the chance to enjoy Fastnacht activities.
