Fastnacht (Mardi Gras) 2020

S' goht degege! – An obscure old-German saying, deriving from “Es geht dagegen!” (it goes against…) Whether it means against a wall or your principles, fools take comfort in the fact that after the season, it is also before the season!

On Weiberfastnacht or Fat Thursday as it’s called in other countries, cities across Germany turn into real party towns at exactly 11:11AM when the carnival officially kicks off. From Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday before Shrove Tuesday, right through to Ash Wednesday, revelers celebrate the “fifth season” – as it’s called in Germany.

Some people forget that these long traditions of Mardi Gras have their European roots.

Interestingly, the more you look to more you see number eleven popping up again and again in the context of the carnival. It’s become widely used because of the official start of the carnival, which took place on 11th November - 11.11. Also, the Elferrat – our council of 11, has eleven members, as the name suggests. This council usually takes on the organizational tasks and as such, they are in charge of organizing all of the carnival meetings and parades. Traditionally, only men are allowed in the Elferrat councils, but some have since relaxed their rules and also welcome women too.

Büttenrede – A rhyming speech mainly given during the variety shows known as Karnevalssitzungen.  The Bütte, which actually means a barrel, is also the lectern from which they are delivered. The tradition, like everything else Karneval-related, is old Christian, harking back to a time when the Büttenrede was used to utter blasphemies punishable by maiming any other time of year. Germans often like to mark festive occasions with rhyming couplets. Büttenrede can be very sharp-witted and political but should be taken as harmless jokes.