CARNIVAL
Hi buddies! How are you?
Hope everything is going fine. I left you here something interesting to read about. It's about Germany, about the region where is was living during 6 months (I know, it is not a great time, but better than nothing). Regretfully, I was never there for Carnival. I was on Notting Hill's Carnival in London on 2005 instead.
Well, I hope ypu enjoy this article.
Lots of love, Lydia
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Karnevalszeit
When you hear the word 'carnival' in the English-speaking world, it's probably more likely to be associated with Rio rather than with Germany. Yet in some German regions there are many customs and festivals associated with 'carnival'-and there are quite a few days off work. For many people, carnival is the one occasion in the year when they truly allow themselves to go crazy. This is especially true for the Rhineland, where the 'official' Karnevalszeit (carnival season) starts on the 11th of the 11th at 11.11am. This is when the Karnevalsvereine (carnival clubs) start their preparations, for example building the Karnevalswagen (carnival floats) for the Karnevalszug (carnival parade)– meeting the old stereotype that things are done thoroughly in Germany, even when having fun – though I have to concede that it can take a lot to create such a float. (If you would like to see for yourself, have a look at the documentation on how an old VW Golf was turned into a 'running' camel for a parade in 2003: click on Wagenbau-Newsletter 2002/2003. It doesn't matter if you don't speak any German - just scroll down and let the photos speak for themselves.)
Everything comes to a climax several days before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Almost everyone goes crazy, at least in the Rhineland, especially in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz. The first of these wild days is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, called 'Weiberfastnacht'. In many towns women take over the town halls and, according to an old tradition, cut off the ties of male politicians, colleagues-whoever comes along, is male, and wears a tie. This 'taking over' is the first step in celebrations that are centred around individuals assuming different roles, putting on masks and mocking authority: nowadays leading politicians are generally the target. In the following few days there are a lot of dressing-up parties, and everyone competes to be crazier and more foolish than everyone else, with a little help from the local (and not so local) breweries, champagne and wine cellars. Numerous carnival parades take place, mostly on Rose Monday, and many small towns pride themselves on their own parades, even if this happens only every two years, as for example in Rheinberg, a small town you might have read about in one of my earlier articles. The parades are made up of lots of different floats, many of which have a theme, often picking up on the mood of the time. Cologne's theme this year was 'Laach doch ens, et weed widder wäde'– in the dialect of the area. Translated into 'proper' German it is 'Lach doch mal, es wird schon wieder werden': Just laugh-somehow it'll all get better. Last but not least, one must mention that there's always an alternative. Twenty years ago some folk in Cologne turned the 'Prunksitzung' (a pompous pre-carnival gathering of big carnival clubs) into a 'Stunksitzung'-'Stunk' being colloquial for 'trouble'. This 'Stunksitzung' parodies those traditional carnivals that have become a bit stiff and establishment. It could be called the 'underground' version of the Cologne carnival and all its sessions are sold out long in advance…
Traditional or iconoclastic, carnival is a time to let your hair down, to find time to mock authority and to enjoy yourself. Go with the flow-or against it!
Hope everything is going fine. I left you here something interesting to read about. It's about Germany, about the region where is was living during 6 months (I know, it is not a great time, but better than nothing). Regretfully, I was never there for Carnival. I was on Notting Hill's Carnival in London on 2005 instead.
Well, I hope ypu enjoy this article.
Lots of love, Lydia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karnevalszeit
When you hear the word 'carnival' in the English-speaking world, it's probably more likely to be associated with Rio rather than with Germany. Yet in some German regions there are many customs and festivals associated with 'carnival'-and there are quite a few days off work. For many people, carnival is the one occasion in the year when they truly allow themselves to go crazy. This is especially true for the Rhineland, where the 'official' Karnevalszeit (carnival season) starts on the 11th of the 11th at 11.11am. This is when the Karnevalsvereine (carnival clubs) start their preparations, for example building the Karnevalswagen (carnival floats) for the Karnevalszug (carnival parade)– meeting the old stereotype that things are done thoroughly in Germany, even when having fun – though I have to concede that it can take a lot to create such a float. (If you would like to see for yourself, have a look at the documentation on how an old VW Golf was turned into a 'running' camel for a parade in 2003: click on Wagenbau-Newsletter 2002/2003. It doesn't matter if you don't speak any German - just scroll down and let the photos speak for themselves.)
Everything comes to a climax several days before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Almost everyone goes crazy, at least in the Rhineland, especially in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz. The first of these wild days is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, called 'Weiberfastnacht'. In many towns women take over the town halls and, according to an old tradition, cut off the ties of male politicians, colleagues-whoever comes along, is male, and wears a tie. This 'taking over' is the first step in celebrations that are centred around individuals assuming different roles, putting on masks and mocking authority: nowadays leading politicians are generally the target. In the following few days there are a lot of dressing-up parties, and everyone competes to be crazier and more foolish than everyone else, with a little help from the local (and not so local) breweries, champagne and wine cellars. Numerous carnival parades take place, mostly on Rose Monday, and many small towns pride themselves on their own parades, even if this happens only every two years, as for example in Rheinberg, a small town you might have read about in one of my earlier articles. The parades are made up of lots of different floats, many of which have a theme, often picking up on the mood of the time. Cologne's theme this year was 'Laach doch ens, et weed widder wäde'– in the dialect of the area. Translated into 'proper' German it is 'Lach doch mal, es wird schon wieder werden': Just laugh-somehow it'll all get better. Last but not least, one must mention that there's always an alternative. Twenty years ago some folk in Cologne turned the 'Prunksitzung' (a pompous pre-carnival gathering of big carnival clubs) into a 'Stunksitzung'-'Stunk' being colloquial for 'trouble'. This 'Stunksitzung' parodies those traditional carnivals that have become a bit stiff and establishment. It could be called the 'underground' version of the Cologne carnival and all its sessions are sold out long in advance…
Traditional or iconoclastic, carnival is a time to let your hair down, to find time to mock authority and to enjoy yourself. Go with the flow-or against it!
And here is the article about Rheinberg. I was never there and haven't heard about till today. What a pity! I was close to it last year. Ok, another reason to make a visit to my friends in Düsseldorf. My best wishes for them if they ever read this! Hugs, Lydia
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RHEINBERG: JUST A SMALL TOWN?
Small as it may be, Rheinberg even has its neat but short pedestrian area, where children can run happily around. Even better, they can eat the most delicious Italian ice-cream all summer long. As many as three large ice-cream parlours vie for custom, though only in summer as their owners all move back to Italy for the winter. On the other hand, Rheinberg has neither cinema nor disco; one has got to get the priorities right. Which brings me to the zoo: as elephants and giraffes would really seem a bit big in a small town, the 'Terrazoo' houses only snakes and reptiles in splendid cases which recreate a wide range of natural habitats . And I must say they do it really 'hands-on', as you can see in the picture.
Something I should not forget to mention is Rheinberg's marksmen's association. Every August, during the week-long Schützenfest, the town centre is given over to a funfair, while the marksmen in traditional costumes try to shoot an elaborate wooden bird, piece by piece, off a high pole. The whole event is conducted according to strictly observed rituals, and epic mounts of beer and 'schnaps' are consumed. Watch this space for a more detailed account of such events, which occur throughout Germany, and perhaps sum up a lot of so called typical German characteristics.
Rheinberg is very proud of its history, too. In May this year, the inhabitants celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the town. A royal court in Rheinberg was mentioned in an official document in the year 1003! The town hall, built in 1449, is one of the Niederrhein's oldest. So now decide for yourself: 'small town blues' or 'worth a go'?
Ooops, here is the first part of the article.
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Rheinberg: just a small town?
Never heard of Rheinberg? Hardly surprising. On the face of it, there is really nothing very special about it. A rather pretty small town on the Lower Rhine (the 'Niederrhein') close to the Dutch Border, it is not too far from Düsseldorf and Cologne. So why mention it? For a small town it can, surprisingly, count among its stars a super model, an Olympic gold medallist, a nationally-famous drink and a world-class mini-zoo.
It is more than likely you will have heard the name 'Claudia Schiffer' before. She may not any longer be in the top ten in the world, but she was for an amazingly long time during the eighties and nineties. And with admirable discipline and a dose of brilliant promotion she has also helped herself to the status of female icon. Well, she is from Rheinberg. And she lived there until she was 'discovered' in a disco in Düsseldorf, where the more adventurous youth of Rheinberg used to 'hang out'.
The name of Isabell Werth may be less familiar to an international audience (except the horsey kind) but she was four times Olympic dressage champion and world champion twice. The whole of the Niederrhein area is well-known for the breeding and training of top-class show-jumping horses, and Rheinberg is quietly at the centre of the business.
And the drink? You may just have heard of 'Underberg' before – depending on your drinking habits, and age necessarily – as this drink contains 48% alcohol. It comes only in tiny, brown-paper-wrapped 20 ml bottles. When I recently offered it to some friends, they thought I was about to poison them. But as a matter of fact it is supposed to be good for the digestion after a rich meal. To many kids growing up in Rheinberg the name Underberg is associated with a great outdoor swimming pool, built with the support of the Underberg family. More controversial, perhaps, is the landmark 'Underberg-tower' in Rheinberg, to some a true eyesore, while others think it should be made an historical monument
Hello
AntwortenLöschenInteresting! I knew about the Carnaval in Germany as some of my friends are German and go home every year for it, I just think the weather is better in Brazil!
x
That's true! But definitely, Germany is... closer.
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