Karneval Alden Gordon German 102 Professor Rosenbaum

The Holiday with a Dozen Names  Name of Holiday changes depending on the location.  In Austria and areas near Munich it is known as Fasching.  Around the city of Mainz it is known as Fastnacht.  It is called Fosnat in the Franken region of northern Bavaria.  The most famous and massive celebrations of this holiday occur in city of Köln (Cologne) in northern Germany in the Rhineland area, where it is known as Karneval.

The Nature of Karneval  The holiday officially starts on November 11th at 11:11,  It continues on a low key for three months until a climax on Rosenmontag, the 42nd day before Easter and the Monday before Ash Wednesday.  The first recorded celebration of Karneval in Köln occurred in the year  The celebration on Rosenmontag consists of about 1.5 million citizens of Köln dressing in costume, and viewing or participating in a procession of floats down major streets.

A Karneval Procession in

The Three Stars  The Karneval celebration has three stars, or Dreigestirn, who are elected in October by Köln’s 105 historical Karneval associations.  The first is the Carneval Prince who is referred to as “seine Tollität”, or his craziness.  The prince is accompanied by a host of bodyguards, dressed in 1800’s uniforms, who are facing the wrong direction and holding guns with flowers in the barrels to signify the cities historic antimilitarism.  The other stars include the Bauer, peasant, and the Jungfrau, the virgin who is always played by a man.

Dreigestirn

Political Commentary in Celebration  Especially in Köln the celebrations of Karneval have taken a distinctly politically humorous tone

A Prime Example

Costumes and Celebration  On Rosenmontag there are pub and street parties all over Köln, and a majority of people participating are in costume or face paint.  During the float processions those riding the floats throw candy to the crowds and sing traditional parade songs.

History of Karneval  Can be dated back to pagan era, possibly of Roman influence, as a celebration to ward off evil spirits and encourage a good harvest.  The political nature of Karneval began in this era when peasants mocked knights and priests by dressing like them.