Crazy Times or how Germans get the Spring on!

Here is our contribution to Dar's Spring Challenge. It is not as famous as the carnival in Rio de Janeiro but it has very traditional roots that goes many generations back in time: The Fasend (carnival) in Zell. 

Every little town has its very own ritual to awaken the Schalk (or Narro, as they call the joker or fun maker in local lingo).

Sunday at 2PM, the officials called the Narro and ordered him to better wake up, and spread the fun for the next three days until Ash Wednesday. You must know, that the only way Germans can have fun is by dressing up and pretending to be somebody else. Believe us, it has a long tradition, we grew up with it... Hence, we were not surprised to find many locals were in costume.

And to mingle with the crowd we dug out our Calgary Stampede outfit, and we fit right in. Yee-Haw!

It looked like the whole town were on their feet to celebrate carnival. It was a happy and relaxed event for big and small alike.

There were several marching bands, some of the playing traditional music but the younger generations rather preferring jamming to jazzy style rhythms.

Many of the traditional costumes originated in the early industrialisation and its related businesses. The paper joker costume (Bändele) is made completely out of paper and represents its industry.

Same goes for the deck-of-cards (Spielkarten) joker. It's made out of 1800 cards, and about 10kg (22 lbs) heavy.

All costumes are handmade. The snail shell (Schneckenhüsli) costume contents of approximately 2000 shells and weighs roughly 40 kg (88 lbs.). Also, the wooden faces are very special, and have to be made in a certain way that only insiders are made familiar with. It is all about tradition and rules.

Awww!

There was also a marching band from Basel, Switzerland. It is normal, that one "fools guild" visit another.

The reason for these crazy times are of course originated somewhat in the medieval times, when food had become scarce and people were about ready to cut each other's throats after a long and hard winter. These funny times before fasting became an institution for relief. And people still enjoy it even in nower days when lives have become much easier, and cold and hunger are no longer an issue.

Now, there's undeniable proof, we Germans can be funny at times, you know.