You know you live in Germany when all social norms are turned upside down the week before Ash Wednesday.
This Thursday, the festival known as Fasching, or Carnival, started with a bang. There was a band that marched by my house; the cymbal player gave an extra crash right in front of my window. Katrina said she heard a band playing outside her window at 2am. Any other time of the year, a noise at 2am would be highly disapproved. This, however, is Fasching week, so anything goes. Technically, the festival starts November 11 at 11:11am, but this week is the biggest part of the celebration.
Costumed people walking toward downtown Kandern
In addition to bands, there are people wearing wooden masks and large clown-shoes. Lots of the costumes have bells attached to the ankles, so it sounds like Santa’s reindeer have come to town. Some people dress up like trees and walk around town. People stay out late in bars drinking. There was a giant parade today, and all the streets in Kandern were full of oddly-dressed troupes. Monday, known as Rosenmontag, is a holiday from school and work. How can you make a bunch of hung-over people work?
Tree people!
Why is all this ridiculousness happening this week?
Historically, it started as pagan rituals with masks and dancing with loud noises to scare off winter and bring in summer. Judging by the snow yesterday, I don’t think the cymbal crashes worked.
Somehow, that pagan ritual combined with Catholic traditions (sin as much as possible before Ash Wednesday, confess, and be holy through Lent); Fasching turned into a loud celebration of immorality before Lent starts. It’s like Mardi Gras, but worse. The masks and costumes make everyone feel free to sin anonymously. There is underwear hanging in the Blumenplatz, and drunk people walk around all day long in costumes that no proper German would ever dare to wear any other time of the year (people stared at me for wearing flip flops in the Fall – it wasn’t even cold yet!). I have heard that spouse swapping occurs sometimes here. I was warned that this week is the one time in the whole year that it’s not safe for a girl to walk around by herself, so I’ve avoided downtown Kandern as much as possible.
The whole idea of sinning a bunch just before Lent is like trying to take advantage of God’s grace and use it for personal gain. Paul addresses this very issue in Romans 6.
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Sometimes, this town seems so innocent; it’s almost like a fairy tale. This week, however, I am reminded that many or most of the people in Kandern have not died to sin; they are in need of a Savior!
Pray that I would have opportunities to talk to my German friends in Band about the Gospel.
