The entire continent is celebrating Fasching right now. It's the equivalent of Carnival in Northern Germany and the rest of Europe and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but it goes on forever! People have been celebrating it for the past two weeks, and it ends next Tuesday, when Lent begins. Last weekend Eliz and I were invited to a Fasching Party. We were told to dress up and assumed this was a private party at someoneäs house. But the address led us to a Turnhalle, which is I guess the equivalent of a rec center in Canada. There were tons of people, all ages, and a massive stage at the front. While everyone could go up and dance if they wanted, there was also a huge show put on by professional dance groups from all of the nearby towns. Each town had a Prince and Princess and were awarded crowns after their town's dance. It sounds kitschy, and at times was, but you couldn't help but be amazed by the dancing. This was not your average town talent show. The entire show went until about 1 am, and then the younger kids all went home, and people stayed to dance. Definitely a Bayerisch night!
Last night was Unsinniger Donnerstang, which I think translates into Nonsensical Thursday. Apparently that is the day that women are entitled to go around and cut the end off of men's ties. Or so my hostdad told me, to explain why he never wears a tie on that day. The town has a giant party in the centre, and so I went with a few friends. When you are used to a quiet town of about 10,000 people, most of them young families, an Unsinniger Donnerstag party is a huge surprise. There were tons of people all crowded around one giant tent. There was smoke everywhere and the music had to compete with the sound of glass bottles hitting the ground. Youths. Not really my kind of party, but it was fun to see everyone dressed up. And drunk Bayerisch is even funnier to hear than regular Bayerisch (the Bavarian dialect). Apparently big cities like Cologne have fantastic city wide parties that are worth seeing. But the absolute best thing about Fasching is that it means I get my first vacation! Tonight I leave for a long weekend in Dresden, Leipzig and Nuremberg, and then come back quickly to leave for Vienna!
Last night was Unsinniger Donnerstang, which I think translates into Nonsensical Thursday. Apparently that is the day that women are entitled to go around and cut the end off of men's ties. Or so my hostdad told me, to explain why he never wears a tie on that day. The town has a giant party in the centre, and so I went with a few friends. When you are used to a quiet town of about 10,000 people, most of them young families, an Unsinniger Donnerstag party is a huge surprise. There were tons of people all crowded around one giant tent. There was smoke everywhere and the music had to compete with the sound of glass bottles hitting the ground. Youths. Not really my kind of party, but it was fun to see everyone dressed up. And drunk Bayerisch is even funnier to hear than regular Bayerisch (the Bavarian dialect). Apparently big cities like Cologne have fantastic city wide parties that are worth seeing. But the absolute best thing about Fasching is that it means I get my first vacation! Tonight I leave for a long weekend in Dresden, Leipzig and Nuremberg, and then come back quickly to leave for Vienna!