What is Fasnacht? The Swiss and Italians call it Karneval. The French call it Mardis Gras, and the northern Germans call it Fasching. Fasnacht is the southern German equivlant of the various winter celebrations leading up to Shrove Tuesday -- the day before Ash Wednesday, or the beginning of Lent. The word itself comes from the old high German "fas" (meaning "to fast") and "nah" (or "eve"), referring to the tradition of fasting during the forty days of Lent.
Today Fasnacht, much like Mardis Gras in the United States, has a reputation for good and wild fun. But unlike the U.S.'s version of this old tradition, in Germany the festivities of Fasnacht involve people of all ages and local businesses, with many guilds and associations being represented.
The festivities of Fasnacht actually begin on the night after January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas. In the Middle Ages, the natives of Europe were very aware that these weeks were the darkest and coldest days of the year. To give their lives color and excitement in the gloomy season, they held communal feasts, sang folk songs, told each other strange tales and evoked ghosts of their loved ones and nature spirits.
