European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Fasching Parade in Darmstadt West Germany. Is costumed singers perform on a stage in front of the head table at a sit Zung in Mainz West Germany. Up Byno Mzeigler travel outdoor writer just when the european Winter is looking its bleakest when it seems like the Gray skies Bare Trees and biting winds will never give Way to Spring comes a time that turns the dreary season on its head and banishes gloom from the collective minds Cape. Variously called Fasching Darneval Fastnacht Pastela Vencl Fasching Fasnet fasnacht and Mardi gras carnival celebrations have links to ancient Pagan rites intended to drive out the demons of Winter. Frightful masks and costumes were a major part of these ancient festivals. Some experts Trace the origin of the word carnival to the Spring festival in ancient Greece when Dionysus the god of wine Rode into Athens on a Chi rus Navalis a float designed As a ship. The More accepted version is that the word evolved out of the incorporation of the Pagan festivals into the Christian Calendar As pre lenten events. The Celebration before the fasting time became known As a came Vale latin for Farewell to meat. In Germany the carnival season is a time of costumed craziness and uninhibited revelry when nearly anything goes. Men dress As women women masquerade As men Rich men and paupers May Exchange roles. Husbands and wives May split up at the Start of a party and not meet again until the next Day with no questions asked. The whole idea is to let off steam to become so caught up in the partying that the Winter is forgotten. The official Start of the German Fasching observances is the 11 the minute of the 11 the hour of the 11 the Day of the 11 the month. But the real season for celebrations comes during the last few weeks before Lent begins. On the weekend before Ash wednesday revelry reaches a fever pitch. In cities such As Cologne Mainz Disseldorf and Munich carnival balls Are among the most popular events of the year de Rigour for aspiring and established socialites alike. Another popular part of Germany s Fasching Are sit Yungen where politicians figures from the worlds of Art and entertainment and Public mores Are mercilessly roasted in rhyming satire. German television carries several of the major events. In addition to the highly organized balls and sit Yungen there Are the countless private parties Large and Small. And nearly every local bar will be the scene of some kind of Celebration especially in the final Days before Ash wednesday. But be forewarned that German police will be out in Force checking for Drunken Drivers. The timing and style of the various German celebrations vary from Region to Region. Frankfurt and Munich hold huge costumed parades on the sunday before Lent. In Cologne Mainz and Dusseldorf Rose Montag the monday before Lent is Parade Day. German television carries them live switching from one to the other during the course of the Day. The word Rose Montag Rose monday is reportedly an adaptation from an older term Arsender Montag frenzied monday which signified the sometimes wild goings on of the final Days of merrymaking. In Stuttgart and the Black Forest town of Rothweil the big Day is Schmo Zige Dau Stag a variation of sch Mutziger Dienstag dirty tuesday. In contrast to the wild Good humor of the Fasching celebrations in the Rhineland the Rothweil Fasnet retains Many of the weird Pagan aspects of the ancient Alemanni festivals. Wooden masked witches and demons and other evil spirits fill the streets. But the germans Are by no Means the Only people in Europe to go a Little crazy Over carnival. In the Netherlands the area near the German Border joins in with a passion and there Are a couple of celebrations outside the Border Region. The biggest and the Best in maastricht is As wild and unrestrained As any in Germany. In Belgium carnival fever is not confined to a Small District it spreads across most of the country. Nearly every town and City has a Celebration of some kind the one in Almedy and the Mardi gras in Binche being among the most memorable. Vienna Heads the Fasching list in Austria with the highlight of the festivities being the dozens of balls. True to the country s geography Many Rural areas celebrate with ski races for costumed participants or competitions based on the originality of masks and funny antics performed on the slopes. The Mardi gras Celebration in France reaches its Zenith on the Riviera with the Battle of Flowers in Nice. The Flower covered floats of the Nice Parade May have been a precursor of the Rose bowl Parade in Pasadena Calif. In Venice Italy the canals and the medieval ambiance of the Lagoon City lend a special Quality to the Carnevale. Masked natives and tourists throng the courtyards squares and palaces. The Swiss often stereotyped As dour and hard working exhibit neither of these traits during their fasnacht celebrations. In towns such As Lugano Appenzell Locarno and Zurich merrymaking is the order of the Day. But perhaps the most haunting and memorable Celebration takes place in Basel. It begins with the Morgens Raich in the dark morning hours the monday after Ash wednesday when the lights throughout the City Are extinguished. Out of the Winter darkness of ancient alleyways March drummers and Piccolo players their phantasmagoric Al masks and costumes lighted by huge hand painted lanterns. Unlike Many of the carnival events in other countries participation is traditionally reserved for baseless. Piccolo players and drummers practice their skills year round in fasnacht cliques and the whole effect is one of amazing precision amid splendid chaos. On monday afternoon a Parade of a different sort takes place with floats and marching brass bands playing hilariously out of tune. The Celebration continues until the predawn hours of thursday when the last Piccolo players and drummers finally wander Home to sleep. It is a wonderful Way to wrap up the carnival season. On Page 9 is a partial Roundup of carnival celebrations. For More information Contact the tourist offices in areas of interest to you. O stripes Magazine january 26, 7989