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Sitting here mid-October,
windows open, fan turning lightly and little to no heat use yet this year.
We're still awaiting tropical activity, nothing has ventured up the Eastern
seaboard as yet. All those affected by Sandy are most grateful I'm sure.
Angel wisps over Allen, MD on 10/20/13
Speaking of Jeff, Where in the World is
Jeff Berthiaume?
At the moment, home telecommuting
and working in DC. Most recently it was almost three weeks in the sand. He will
return to the SAND again in the near future. Perhaps he could send a picture to
us of an Hour Glass.
In February I got to spend a week
with Jeff in Munich, Germany. While there, it was Fasching, New
Orleans has Mardi Gras, Germany has Fasching.
Fasching 2013 is the German version
of Mardi Gras or Carnival/Carnaval. This is the festive season before Lent
originally celebrated by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures around the
world—from Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans to the famous Carnavale in Venice,
Italy that dates to the thirteenth century. Carnival in Germany (as well as in
Austria and Switzerland and the southern part of the Netherlands) has many
similarities to those celebrations around the world, including parades with
floats, elaborate costumes and masquerades, street parties, elegant and gala
balls, copious amounts of drinking, and general merrymaking in the streets.
There often is even a king/queen or prince/princess crowning.
Fasching Carnival Facts and History
Called different names (Karneval,
Fasnet, Fosnat, Fastnacht) around the Germanic-speaking world, it is called
Fasching primarily in the region around Munich. The word
refers to the fasting period known as Lent, and the city of Munich really gets
into the spirit of partying prior to the pious season of fasting. The season
actually begins on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at 11:11 a.m. when
the prince and princess are crowned. There is then a break to suitably observe
the Christmas season and celebrate New Year (this is the time of year when the
famous European Christmas Markets come to life). What is known as the
"crazy" or "silly" season of Fasching begins in earnest on
the seventh of January.
Fasching Events
The first January events of Carnival
in Germany are elegant black tie and gala fancy dress balls held by companies,
trade guilds, societies of all descriptions, schools, and sports clubs. After
all the more sedate office parties and elegant balls, the crazy part of the
season begins. This is the wild Mardi Gras period that culminates in a huge
celebration on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday (known as Fat Tuesday in New
Orleans or Pancake Day in England). In New Orleans there is king cake or gumbo.
In Italy there are carnival fritters, ribbons of fried sweet pasta covered with
sugar and honey. Fasching is famous for its doughnuts (krapfen). This signature
delicacy will be found everywhere. It is a deep fried potato pastry often
filled with custard, chocolate, or jelly and sprinkled with sugar or honey.
Yeast makes it puffy, and it is most delicious fresh out of the hot oil. The
tradition of consuming all this salty, yeasty, sweet, fatty food at the end of
Carnival time is in order to use up all the food that will be sworn off during
Lent.
This part of Carnival in Germany
marks the beginning of the Strong Beer Festival Season. Yes, it's another
festival dedicated to Germany's favorite beverage—beer. This festival begins
with the tapping of the first kegs of strong beer or "bock," a
strong, medium to dark brown lager. This celebration occurs for two weeks
during March, and rivals the famed Munich
Oktoberfest held during the autumn. Other large Fasching 2013 celebrations
occur in Cologne
and Vienna. Many of the ski
resorts in the Alps of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria also host
carnivals.
Bands, Beer, Brats and costumes to
celebrate the coming of forty days of fast.
My meal on fasching eve.
Jeff and I got to visit our longtime friend Andy Linz and his home town
of Weilheim in Bavaria. Below are Christina, me, Andy and Benjamin all cuddled
up and sleeping. Pic #2 is Jeff and I downtown Munich.
So, the blog is up
and running, I’ll add more later and am glad to be back. C Ya!