Offenburg: Part Deux - Fasent

When we ended the last episode, Theresa, Gabi, and I were in Offenburg, Germany. And there were lots of strange looking people running around. That was the beginning of the story of the Germanic Carnival (a.k.a Karneval, Fasnacht, Fasent, or Fasnet).

Bear with me, this is going to be a wandering series of trivia and observations.

France and Germany are not the most church-going countries in the world. But it has really surprised me that most holidays and traditions are deeply-rooted in the old Church Calendar. A good many of what the locals call "bank holidays" are the Holy Days of Obligation. Good Friday, Ascension Thursday, the Assumption, All Saints Day, Christmas, and January 1 are all state holidays in France. The only biggie that didn't become a bank holiday is the Immaculate Conception, on December 8. But in return the French get Pentecost Monday (a.k.a. Whit Monday) and the Friday after Ascension Thursday (which has the historic name "day of reduction of working time").

Alsace and Lorraine score even bigger. They get the day after Christmas and Easter Monday off as well. This is an artifact of history and war. Seems that in the early 1900's, France enacted some laws to formally separate the church and state. As luck would have it, Alsace and Lorraine happened to be part of Germany at the time. When they were returned to France in 1918 they picked up with the laws they had when they left France in 1871...which happened to be the Concordats of Napolean Bonaparte from 1801, which actually formalized a peaceful relation between church and state. This anachronism means that, in addition to the extra holidays, these two regions are also allowed to provide religious instruction in public schools. Also, the French state makes payments to priests, vicars, and rabbis. So I'm told.

Anyway, besides the bank holidays, the church calendar seems to govern other traditions. The Christmas Markets, for example, begin promptly on the first Sunday in Advent. We've already seen the tradition of the Gallette des Rois on January 6. The feast of St. Catherine on November 25 is traditionally observed by all unmarried women of exact age 25, who wear a large, gaudily decorated hat to mark the beginning of spinsterhood. No kidding. There were actually several at work. February 2 is known as Chandeleur, the feast of Candlemas. Today, the tradition remains that you are supposed to make crèpes on February 2. Moreover, if you can flip a crèpe in the pan with one hand while holding a gold coin in the other then you are guaranteed good luck for the year. Honest, we made crèpes on February 2.

Also, some people celebrate their saints day...the day of their patron saint from which they take their name. This leads to the following coincidence. My baby girl, Amanda, was born on April 18. April 18 is the feast of Saint Parfait (a.k.a. Saint Perfect). I always knew she was little Miss Perfect.

So, what has this to do with Carnival? I'd always figured that Carnival was a French thing, as represented by Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I was vaguely aware that Mardi Gras was linked to a larger tradition of Carnival as made famous by the folks in Brazil. But I never would have imagined that Germany was a hot-bed of pre-lenten partying. Turns out, the Carnival traditions have kind of died away in most of France. But they seem to be going strong on the other side of the Rhine.

Another side note: In the French tradition, the Carnival period begins on January 6 - the Epiphany. And the person that finds the prize in the Gallette Des Rois is royalty for the entire carnival period. Again, all things are connected.

Carnival in Germany...or at least in parts...is a big deal. Though not every town has a Karneval, the towns that do get very wrapped up in it. I will speak of Offenburg because that is what I've seen.

Like in New Orleans, there are numerous clubs that actually stage the events. But there is none of the Bachus and Greek God stuff. In Germany, it is hardcore black magic. The clubs are known as Hexenzunft, or witches guilds. The carnival time, or Fasent, is a period where witches and ogres and devils and fools take over the town. Which, of course, is a good excuse for drunken anarchy to reign. The high point and ending is of course Fasnacht, or Fat Night...the night before Ash Wednesday.

In Offenburg and the surrounding areas, the Fasent period officially begins on November 11, at 11 in the morning. That's right... on the eleventh month, eleventh day, eleventh hour. Seems the combination of 11's has some special numerological significance to the whole witchcraft thing that dates way back before 1918. I don't know if the relationship with Armistice Day is a coincidence or something deeper.

Things don't really kick in until early February. This is the start of the public phase. It just so happens that the day we were in Offenburg was the day of the Narrentreffen, or the Fools Parade. Here, it is officially known as the Offenburger Narentag.

The day started with the storming of the city hall, the Rathaus. The picture below shows the Mayor coming out in his best Medieval suit.

The witches erected a gallows in front of the Rathaus and proceeded to hang, tar, and feather some poor bloke. I suppose he was a stand-in for the Mayor. Luckily, they hung him in a canvas bag rather than by a noose around his neck. The storming of the Rathaus began and 11:11 am. (Numerology again.) Below, you have a view of the gallows. The fellow in blue swinging from the gallows is getting tarred and feathered.
Next Episode: The Narrentreffen.