This year, I attended two Faschingsumzüge [fash - ings - oom - tsoo - guh], or Fasching parades. One was in my home town of Germersheim on the Saturday of Karneval weekend, and the other was in the big city of Düsseldorf for Rosenmontag.
When you go to a Faschingsumzug, you are supposed to dress up in a fun costume (think Halloween) and attend with a group of friends. There are lots of food stands around with German fair food favorites, like Wurst, Pommes (french fries), Frikadelle (pan-fried meatballs) and Lachs (salmon). Since it is Germany and Karneval, there are also countless stands that sell all kinds of special-made beer. People will get a snack and sip on a beer as the parade begins.
In the United States, we typically see a lot of parades throughout the year for different holidays and city festivals. In Germany, the only parade that is a regular part of the year’s calendar is Karneval. This means that, for Germans, Karnival is the one time they really get to have the experience of watching a parade, seeing live marching bands and collecting parade candy. People take the collection of candy very seriously at Karneval, too; bringing huge tote bags to fill with treats and yelling “Helau!” with glee at every passing float. Helau is the traditional call for candy on Rosenmontag. And when I say that people yell, I mean it! It is not done in a mean way, but the tone is definitely demanding of a sweet reward.
