After a very dreary, wet and gray winter here in Germany, German people welcome the warmer, sunnier weather with an equally bright season of costumes, commentary and tomfoolery. Karneval, also called Fasching in some cities, is celebrated in the southwestern part of Germany (right where I am living!) and acts as a sort of bridge from Winter to Spring and from regular life to the season of Lent. Lent is the 40-day religious fasting period for Christians that leads up to Easter, and it is historically based in German culture. Because Easter moves dates every year, so does Ash Wednesday and, by proxy, Karneval. Karneval is a big celebration that purposefully includes all of the things that Christians will have to give up once Lent starts on Ash Wednesday.
A similar holiday that you may be familiar with is Mardi Gras, celebrated most notably in New Orleans. Mardi Gras goes over the course of several days, with Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) having the biggest events. For Karneval, the biggest day of celebration is on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, titled Rosenmontag or “Monday of Roses”. The season of Karneval starts much earlier, usually in mid-January, with decorations, music and mini parades. But on Rosenmontag, everything really gets crazy!
