It’s Carnival time in Germany and all are getting into the celebration mood. Carnival is just a chance to get wild before Lent (Lent is observed to forsake something of personal interest as a sacrifice for different reasons). Carnival parades, roadshows, German delicacy Kreppel (Yeast dough filled with jam), are part of the celebrations carried out in a fantabulous vibrant manner all over the country.
Mainz
Every city celebrates carnival in its own special way. The city of Mainz kicks off for one of the biggest Carnivals in the nation known as ‘Mainzer Fastnacht’. It depicts a blend of politics and literature in a unique humorous manner making this Carnival outstanding. It is celebrated every year from 11th November onwards with small events followed by gradual increase in the number of events in the later days. This year’s peak Carnival period will be from 20th to 26th February with ‘Rosenmontag’ on 24th February (meaning Rose Monday) which is the highlight of German traditional carnival. For many of us, Carnival is just people dressed in colorful clothes marching on the streets in groups. However, it is much more than this. This event features two components, in-house celebrations which is typically called ‘Saalfastnacht’ and street celebrations called ‘Straßenfastnacht’ in German with its main focus on Rosenmontag. This mix of indoor-outdoor events include diverse range of parties, stage performances & shows by elders and children, some out of the box shows like black magic shows etc that you would otherwise not experience.
On one hand, you will enjoy parades in the cold weather, on the other hand, you will definitely get a chance to wear your best costumes with your very own high heels and enjoy the indoor concerts and shows.
As ‘Rosenmontag’ is very special, huge parades with some special themes are carried out by different associations (formed for the Carnivals). Did you know, when was the first ever association for the Carnival nominated? Way back in 1838 an association called ‘Mainzer Carnevalsverein (MCV)’ was formed for the first time with far reaching tradition.
Seligenstadt Carnival
Do think of visiting one of the untapped cities of FrankfurtRheinMain, Seligenstadt that has one of the most delightful ‘Rosenmontag parade’. The city has been celebrating this special traditional parade since 1859. Today, around 50,000 visitors from around the region gather to enjoy this extravaganza.
Parades in Frankfurt
Around 3,400 participants take part almost every year in the parades in Frankfurt. The city’s slogan for this year is ‘Handicraft has a very long tradition in Frankfurt´s Carnival’. The parades are carried out with the participants chanting out their slogans and throwing chocolates at the audience. A quick tip over here. Do not forget your bag or may be an umbrella can be the best to collect dozens of chocolates and candy’s :).
Dieburg Festival
Likewise, the city of Dieburg where the Carnival is been celebrated since 1508 has its own beauty and charm. An association named, Karnevalverein Dieburg 1838 e.V. has more than 1800 participants and therefore the biggest Carnival’s association in Germany.
Other cities like Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Hanau, Ober-Mörlen, Oberursel (Taunus) present a complete package of entertainment. Carnival period is one of the best seasons in the year as you see vibrant colors in every city & county. This festival is also celebrated all over the schools and educational institutions in the greater FrankfurtRheinMain region. This is the time and occasion to enjoy, dance and party hard. 😉
Ideally, one cannot miss this fun while you are in the region. But just in case if you feel like sitting back at home and enjoying the show relaxing back on your sofa, then do watch the ‘Mainzer Fastnacht’ which is featured on television under the title „Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht“ (Mainz remains Mainz as it sings and laughs).
So go out and enjoy the Carnivals!
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