The School Fasching Celebration

Ronan's school Fasching (read last post to learn about what Fasching is) celebration took place last week. Each class had a different costume theme that was related to the performance each class was to do at the school assembly. Since Ronan's class was performing a cowboy song (which Ronan really disliked), the classroom's theme was cowboys. So all the children were asked to dress up as a cowboy/cowgirl, and if they wanted to dress up as something else, to at least bring a hat and vest so they could change into a cowboy for the performance. Ronan wanted to be a Ninja, so we got him a Ninja outfit along with a toy sword, which he has spent many hours assaulting his parents with.
However, when the day came, we wondered whether we should bring a toy gun with the cowboy outfit. We figured that it wouldn't be appropriate. In the US, it would certainly be frowned upon or worse, especially in consideration of all the school shootings that have happened over the years. So, of course, we figured that bringing a toy pistol to school would be taboo. We didn't bring it.
So we arrive at the school and take Ronan to his classroom and it's complete mayhem! All his classmates were running around crazy shooting off their toy cowboy pistols. It was a no-holds-barred, OK Corral, mass shoot-out. The theme in the classroom across the hall was the muppets, even the Cookie monster had a toy pistol. And here is our child, unarmed, in fact, we'd even forgotten his Ninja sword. He was defenseless and he knew it, we knew it. The tears begin to well up in his eyes and all the excitement of the day disappeared. After all, for a kid who loves to go swordfighting in the park and gets yelled at for pointing his toy guns at his parents, here was his perfect chance to let it all out, to go gun-crazy with his classmates, and what had he done, he had left his weapons at home on the one day when was allowed to have one.
What could we do? Ronan was so dejected and upset. Was there enough time to go back home in the snow storm to get his sword or toy pistol? Hmm, too far. Well, James and I looked at each other. We both thought of the big box store about a mile up the road from the school where they had lots of costumes and toys for kids. Ah, time for a gun run! Yup, we went on a gun run so our child wouldn't feel left out of the mayhem. I just can't imagine having done this in the US. It would be considered so politically incorrect, even though we probably have some of the most liberal gun ownership laws of most developed countries. However, here in conservative, Catholic Bavaria, Fasching is a time where rules are relaxed. Everyone is allowed to go a bit crazy (before Lent) and release some of that pent up energy caused by cabin fever, and that includes dressing up as cowboys and bringing toy pistols to school.
So Ronan donned his costume. We told him we'd be back, we got on our bikes and cycled out in the snow to Kaufland to buy our kid a gun to take to school. We purchased the last Colt 45 in the shop, returned to the school, and made one little boy very happy. However, the irony of this was not lost on us.

Fasching (Mardi Gras) Season

In case you haven't heard, Europe has been experiencing a deep freeze for the past several weeks. Temperatures here in Burghausen have been below zero degrees Celsius for about a 3 weeks. Biking to work and school has been pretty darn cold, but at least we finally had some snow that has stayed on the ground. Burghausen certainly knows how to handle even a minor snowfall by thoroughly plowing and salting the sidewalks, bike lanes, and roads. After all we are near the region of the Salzkammergut in Austria. The name means "Estate of the Salt Chamber" and derives from the Imperial Salt Chamber, the authority charged with running the salt mines of the Habsburg empire. So there's plenty of salt around here. Anyway, that's not what I'm here to talk about.

Today, I want to talk about Fasching! or Mardi Gras as we call it in the States. Most folks associate Mardi Gras only with New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro, but the Catholic areas of Germany also celebrate Fasching in style, Cologne is particularly well known for its Fasching celebrations. In Bavaria, and particularly where we lived years ago in Regensburg, Fasching is celebrated with gusto. From mid-January through to Ash Wednesday, there are costume parties and balls of all kinds on almost every weekend, peaking on Faschingmontag with most pubs in the town hosting all night parties, followed by Faschingsdienstag or Fat Tuesday, which is a wee bit more staid since the bars have to shut down at Midnight. I'm sure the purpose of this celebration is to get us all through the cold dark days of winter and to give observant Catholics a last hurrah before the season of Lent. In the end, what better way to fight cabin fever than to get dressed up and go to parties every weekend, not that I do that any more. But I certainly had my share of Fasching all-nighters, replete with white wurst breakfasts at 6:00 a.m.

I will also mention that the Thursday before Ash Wednesday here is called Weiberfasching or Ladies Fasching. And beware those gentlemen who wear their best ties to work on that day. It is tradition in the workplace, especially banks, for the ladies to cut the gentlemen's ties (so very pagan, I think). I remember walking into the bank each year on Weiberfasching, noticing the ties, and thinking, Ah, Weiberfasching.

There are also Fasching events for children, for example, Ronan's school is having a Fasching party tomorrow. He's even going to wear a costume, he'll be dressed as a Ninja. Ronan never dresses up, he's never even gone trick or treating because he doesn't like to dress up. But he's got costume fever this year. Sorry, I can't show you photos because he doesn't want photos of him in costume going up on Facebook. Smart boy!

So, wherever you are, why not fight off those winter blues by heading off to a mardi gras celebration near you or hosting your own Mardi Gras party! It may not be as wild and crazy as in these parts, but it will take you out of hibernation mode and remind you that you probably have friends out there you haven't seen in a while! Give them a call!