Fasching in Tuebingen
In light of my psycho-spiritual development course, as well as an awakening spirit in the past week, I'm going to reproduce a story from my time in Tuebingen. In honor of Fasching (or Karnival or Fasnet) that is ongoing, I'd like to share my story of Tuebingen's pre-lenten celebration...
"Narri - Narro!!" 27 January 2002
Today was the celebration of "Fasnet" in Tuebingen. Fasnet is similar to Karneval, Fasching, and Fastnacht (all names for the same festival, but celebrated a little differently in different parts of Germany...in South America it is called Carnival and in New Orleans it is Mardi Gras...but here in Germany there are different traditions.) Basically Fasnet is a pre-Lenten celebration. This ends with Ash Wednesday, with the beginning of Lent (which by the way is right around the corner...my last day of class for the semester!). The reason for "Fast" which means to fast is because of the fasting during Lent.
Tuebingen and many other cities as well, celebrates this with a parade. Today the streets of the Altstadt were taken over by various Narrenzuenfte (literally, "fools' guilds"). They are men, women, and children from different towns arcross the region who are in the Narren guilds. They dressed up as all sorts of animals and creatures including rams, cats, goats, geese, bears, and an assortment of creatures I couldn't identify. There were also witches. Each guild has its own set costume. The witches usually wore pants with an apron with lots of patches and layers of random clothes over that. Some costumes were well done, others looked homemade. They carry self-made brooms of tree branches and twigs. They hobble, hop, skip, run, and walk through the streets waiving their brooms (some have pig bladders...don't ask me if they were really pigs bladders, or just a balloon...).
The most fun part is the pranks. These aren't just smiley happy waiving witches like the participators in American parades...no no...and we are not just spectators--rather we the crowd are their victims. They taunt people with their brooms, they come up and mess up your hair. One tried to untie my shoelaces. They roll around on the street and throw confetti and candy. They will grab you and get into your face. Some will even take people from the crowd (especially the young teenage girls) and walk down the street with them. Some guilds had carts with straw in it. They would throw the victims in the cart and rub their hair with straw.
Each guild has a special patch or symbol and a chant. The witches or creatures will say the first part and we the victims respond. The most famous one that everyone will respond to is "NARRI - NARRO!!" There were also small marching bands...some with just brass, or just drums, others with wind instruments. The whole parade in Tuebingen lasted a good 2 hours, which is pretty big for a town like Tuebingen. It was really neat. I have never experienced anything quite like it...especially the craziness of taunting people, and it is all for fun!
"Narri - Narro!!" 27 January 2002
Today was the celebration of "Fasnet" in Tuebingen. Fasnet is similar to Karneval, Fasching, and Fastnacht (all names for the same festival, but celebrated a little differently in different parts of Germany...in South America it is called Carnival and in New Orleans it is Mardi Gras...but here in Germany there are different traditions.) Basically Fasnet is a pre-Lenten celebration. This ends with Ash Wednesday, with the beginning of Lent (which by the way is right around the corner...my last day of class for the semester!). The reason for "Fast" which means to fast is because of the fasting during Lent.
Tuebingen and many other cities as well, celebrates this with a parade. Today the streets of the Altstadt were taken over by various Narrenzuenfte (literally, "fools' guilds"). They are men, women, and children from different towns arcross the region who are in the Narren guilds. They dressed up as all sorts of animals and creatures including rams, cats, goats, geese, bears, and an assortment of creatures I couldn't identify. There were also witches. Each guild has its own set costume. The witches usually wore pants with an apron with lots of patches and layers of random clothes over that. Some costumes were well done, others looked homemade. They carry self-made brooms of tree branches and twigs. They hobble, hop, skip, run, and walk through the streets waiving their brooms (some have pig bladders...don't ask me if they were really pigs bladders, or just a balloon...).
The most fun part is the pranks. These aren't just smiley happy waiving witches like the participators in American parades...no no...and we are not just spectators--rather we the crowd are their victims. They taunt people with their brooms, they come up and mess up your hair. One tried to untie my shoelaces. They roll around on the street and throw confetti and candy. They will grab you and get into your face. Some will even take people from the crowd (especially the young teenage girls) and walk down the street with them. Some guilds had carts with straw in it. They would throw the victims in the cart and rub their hair with straw.
Each guild has a special patch or symbol and a chant. The witches or creatures will say the first part and we the victims respond. The most famous one that everyone will respond to is "NARRI - NARRO!!" There were also small marching bands...some with just brass, or just drums, others with wind instruments. The whole parade in Tuebingen lasted a good 2 hours, which is pretty big for a town like Tuebingen. It was really neat. I have never experienced anything quite like it...especially the craziness of taunting people, and it is all for fun!