faschings.. its weird!

Faschings..   Its a celebration that happens every year in Germany. It is to say goodbye to the cold dark winter (and take it from me.. it was very dark and stupidly cold at times) and to welcome in the Spring.

If someone told you that, without knowing what goes in during 'Faschings' im sure there are many ways you could think of to celebrate this period in the year.
I first though, of maybe a dinner with the family, a firework display or even..a day of work!

The last one was about the closest I got.We did get a day off school (some people even got 2!)  and why did we get monday off school..

so that we could all go an be part of a parade! (if you didn't get that... you must be feeling pretty stupid!)

Yes. Faschings happens ever year here (fitting, as so does spring)  The Germans welcome Spring with parades, loud music, dancing, sweets , days off work, and of course..  Beer!!

There are some rules, that all those going must (and it is a must) abide by.

1) be horrendously drunk.. if you are not drunk.. you will suffer the same issue as I did (which I will clear up later)
2) though you may be drunk..  drink more..  because this will clearly make things better
3) yell  "HELAU" to everyone you see.. no matter what they may be doing
4) dance in the middle of the road
5) find the most stupid costume you can.. something that you wouldn't be seen dead in..  and wear it

Yes.. you have to do these things..  and , for someone who had never heard of it before January (bad really!)  It was completely bizarre.

I live :
- 20 minutes from Fulda
- 60 minutes from Frankfurt
- 90 minutes from Mainz (the biggest Faschings in Germany)

Where..  with all of these places did I decide to go.. I hear you ask

Steinau -_-

Yes.. Steinau..  located just 10 minutes away from my town. I went to Steinau.. and encountered many  of my students in states that  I would never usually see them in..     (that is a nice way of saying that they were drunk!)

I encountered English students dressed as Pirates, Mexicans, police officers and everything in between..  in the UK.. this would be way to over the top..

Well the parade was great. It basically consists of local groups of ... things..   who have mobbed local farmers for the use of a tractor and trailer..  they then proceed to choose a theme, and decorate the trailer as such.   They then attach speakers and play VERY cheesy music through it whilst driving through the center of some town whilst lobbing sweets and various other things at small and unsuspecting children - probably dressed as a gorilla or something.

Although strange.. it is in fact a really good time, and for families it must be great. It is however odd..  watching children dressed as  an Argos catalogue or whatever scurrying along the floor picking up sweets - especially when I bet any amount of money that for the rest of the year, the parents tell their kids off for it!!   I took plenty of pics too...











Ill add pics soon..  please check back!!  :D














After all of this..  one of the colleagues that I was with decided that it was time for what he referred to as "kaltentanz"  ( he was already sloshed..  so he could have meant anything)    we were then frogmarched  (awkward word?  being in Germany??   im gonna use it..)   to a square in front of the main castle in Steinau.

This square is usually..  a really nice place to be.. especially when the sun is out and there are very few people. there is a lovely castle, its very quiet and you can take your time time appreciate the lovely and historical surrounding of the place where the brothers Grimm (as in the load of stories) were born and grew up.

This time.. I arrived to what could only be called "alcohol-related devastation"

There was a whole Shrewdness (that's the collective noun usually used for Apes) of individuals of all ages who were hammered.. and were, upon my arrival.. going GANGNAM STYLE...
my life has taken me in some odd directions..   but this was well up there...

As I said before.. I was reasonably sober.  I had drunk..  but was still in the frame of mind to think logically.. and walk in a straight line - as well as be able to tell what imbeciles everyone else looked.

I really wanted to have a drink.. but I had been (and still was at the time) full of cold. Through many reasons.. my body does not react well to having a cold (and one of those reasons is not that I am a bloke!., well ok it is.. but not the main reason..)  

I decided that it was time to take stock of the situation.

I was in Steinau, dressed as a robber, in the middle of Hessen, Germany. I was with about 1000 other german people who were very drunk, attempting to do Gangnam style with varying amounts of success, shivering so much that the British thought I was trying to send Morse code and It was beginning to go dark. I had also just had an encounter with a gorilla that was slightly too close for comfort.

I decided, that due to the lack of a coffee stand, It was time to go. Had there had been coffee.. i would have stayed.. but the cold was pretty dire at this point.. and Beer was not going to help that.. no matter how much I had.  I had kinda hoped to stay longer.. but not in that frame of mind..

So .. I boarded the next train home (still dressed as a robber!)  and went back to the Flat

I will celebrate Faschings properly at some point.. it is now on my bucket list..   but this year was not the year..  

more to come soon!