Maschgerschaug'n

The Maschgerschaug'n this evening was an extremely interesting event. It was held in the school gymnasium and there were hundreds of people there. They sat at long tables, or stood on the sides or up in the viewer's balcony. Beer, wine, and food was sold. There was a Tyrolean band, and people were dancing. They all seemed to know how to do the dances! I guess everyone learns to dance here. In between the band playing, the Maschgergruppen came out. They were all groups of men, about 20 or so to a group. They wore fantastic costumes, headpieces and masks. They paraded, stomped, danced, used weird instruments like noisemakers, and some did the Schuhplattler. Each group was a little different in costume. One group was all witches, with horrible masks, brooms and staffs. They did a dance where one witch was carried up on a chair. It reminded me of a Bar Mitvah!

Fasching is supposed to be a Christian, in fact Catholic, thing. But I don't believe it. It is supposed to be celebrating, going wild, and letting down your hair before the serious fasting time of Lent. Actually, it is very pagan and stems from Pagan times. I read that "traditional processions of the Perchten welcome the springtime. The Schönperchten ("beautiful Perchts") represent the birth of new life in the awakening nature, the Schiachperchten ("ugly Perchts") represent the dark spirits of wintertime. Farmers yearn for warmer weather and the Perchtenlauf (Run of Perchts; typical scenery) is a magical expression of that desire." Also, it "was a way of driving out the evil spirits of winter and encouraging the coming of spring and good crops. Ugly masks worn for this purpose are still worn in carnival festivals in southern Germany. Karneval can be traced back to pagan Roman festivals, which may explain why Cologne and Mainz, two ancient cities with Roman history, have such big carnivals. In the Middle Ages, Karneval gave the people a break from the tightly structured class system, as they were able to hide their social background behind imaginative masks and costumes. Poor people were able to mix with all other levels of society and share fun with them. In those days people would dress up as knights, damsels and even priests, as a way of making fun of them. In a similar way, people these days sometimes wear masks which make fun of well-known politicians or celebrities. "

The bad news is, I took my camera but the battery ran out as soon as we got there. The good news is, there is another Maschgerschaug'n next weekend, and some of our friends will actually be able to go and see it with us! I will make reservations, and Warren, Barbara, and Ann can experience it. It is up on the mountain in a hut restaurant. We promise to take pictures next time!!!!