Underneath the sleepiness of our little German towns, a force has been growing. It stated in November and has been quiet. But now that February is here it is coming out in full force. It is time for Fasching which is the German equivalent of Mardi Gras or Carnival. This is the time to kick up your heals before Lent starts. The first obvious sign that it is here appeared last Saturday. These rags hung over the street are a mild version of a timed honored tradition that has been tamed down some since I have been at BFA. See below for the more shocking version found in our central town square.
Normally the folks hang out clothes, preferrably underwear. My first year every street in town had the houses all joined together by strings of underwear. This year they opted for only the town square at this point. The tradition is that this is so they can find their way home after partying all night - you follow your clothes home.
The main event for fasching will be the parade and band on Feb. 14 when everyone dresses in a costume and throws confetti all over eveything. The holiday is steeped in worldy customs and BFA encourages us to avoid the festivities. This is sort of the German version of Halloween but with a lot of noise and confetti all over the place. It will be over on Feb. 16 (Fat Tuesday) as Lent begins. For more on what fasching is click here.
