Fasching!

It’s another fun time of the year here in Europe, the “Fasching” season. It’s like Mardi Gras on steroids. Different countries and regions within countries celebrate at different times and slightly different ways, but with one thing in common, costumes. Venice has the Venetian look, obviously, white masks and elegant costumes. The Basel, Switzerland celebrations seems to take on a more ominous tone, with the parade starting at 4:00 A.M. literally in the dark, the town shuts off the street lights. The celebration there continues for 3 days, with parades every day. The costumes, masks and lanterns carried in the Basel parades (large paper lanterns carried through the street, sometimes over 6 feet tall) are often less jovial and often address political issues. It’s really amazing.

Last year, I was almost relieved when the Fasching season was over. Three weekends of partying and celebrating was getting to me. I’m not getting any younger! The first year I participated was amazing. Friends of mine invited me to a “Hexenball”. Hexen means witch. Europe is seeped in tradition and the Hexen groups are just another reflection of that. This was almost like attending a beer fest in a small hall, but you had to dress in costume. The costumes were amazing. I really didn’t know what to expect, since Halloween is an American tradition, but the German’s blew me away. The costumes were great, lots of thought and time went into them, everything from Pirates, cavemen and women, “hausfrau’s” (cleaning ladies) to Caribbean peddlers were represented. The evening followed a full entertainment program, and I remember watching the stage thinking, “I can’t believe I’m witnessing this.” Never in a million years would I even have enough insane thoughts to even come up with the stuff I was seeing. The “Hexen” groups are all over Germany. They’re not “witches” per say, but grown men and women (mostly men) dressed in identical old women’s printed muumuu type dress, apron and head scarf. They proceeded to perform this choreographed dance/ tumbling number, complete with brooms. I swear I saw this. They performed an initiating ceremony where the new member was dunked head first into a tub of champagne and??

There was also a band and other choreographed numbers to entertain…a group of young women with pink bunny suits dancing to an American music medley to include “Moulin Rouge”, a young men’s group performing to the Beach Boy’s “Surfing USA” and last but not least, a group of men dressed in period gowns from “Dance of the Vampire” dancing to a medley of songs from that musical. The main character had a beard. It was hysterical. In between all this, Guggamusig groups performed. Guggamusig is basically marching bands with crazy costumes and masks. I have become a Guggamusig groupie since I have first witnessed this. And finally, in between the drinking, toasting, applauding, and dancing on tables all night, you could dance on stage to the DJ. I will NEVER forget this craziness. I only wish we had something like this in the states.

Over the next couple of weeks there will be countless parades and parties. The parades are extremely interactive. Like Mardi Gras parades, you’re thrown treats, but you can also get harassed by the many “Hexen” groups with crazy costumes and scary masks; marked with ink or dumped on with tons of confetti or even kidnapped for a few blocks. Last year I was put in a container resembling a garbage bin on it’s side and wheeled for a few blocks. I screamed bloody murder until they let me out. I think I scared them :)