European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Hng Arm of a Down reaches out to tousle the half of a Spectator at a Medy. By John Millar beware of Odd looking men with Long noses watch out for plump Bakers carrying Long wooden spatulas keep an Eye out for mischievous clowns with Long arms or even longer Broomsticks encountering these and other traditional carnival characters of Malme by Belgium May result in a whole lot of fun As they have a Way of reaching out and making innocent bystanders the Center of attention during the of town s annual three aay end of Winter festival. Actually each of 15 characters that Are unique to the Eastern belgian town have their own devious methods to get onlookers involved in there Lent merrymaking. And with As Many As 50 or More people acting out the roles of each character it s hard for anyone to stay out of the action. The characters Date Back to when the people of Malme by started their Wacky carnival ways some 500 years ago to celebrate the end of Winter according to Jean Pau Brunei who is president of one of 14 associations dedicated to staging the town s annual event. Manfred Dahmen director of tourism for Belgium s Eastern cantons Region said Malme by s present Day. Population of 6,000 swells to More than 10,000 for the three Day event with More than 1,000 actually playing the parts of the carnival characters. The people of Malme by and surrounding villages begin final preparations for the event on fat tuesday some four weeks before the craziness begins Brunei said. The result is three Days of unbridled madness that is at the same time tame enough that Young children can participate. Each Day we have a different program Brunei said. Specific events Range from Rowdy parades to satirical plays that poke fun at people and events that made news in the town during the preceding year he said. But perhaps most popular is the cast of traditional characters who roam the town in Parados and in Small wandering bands spreading an infectious lunacy As they go. A prominent carnival figure is the Hague the a character dressed like a Soldier with a Large plumed hat who carries a wooden device similar to the gizmos used in old grocery stores to reach items resting on High shelves. Many times the device is used simply to make noise with the soldiers bouncing the devices on their arms to make Large clacking sounds to the beat of marching bands. But it s also used to reach out and grab people usually from behind. The device is called a Happe chair Brunei said and its origins As Well As that of the Soldier character Are obscure. He said it May have come from the 16th Century when the town was surrounded by High Walls and people had to pay taxes to get in. Soldiers Manning the Walls May have used the devices to grab people trying to get in without paying. Then again it might have been used to care for contagious Hospital patients he said. Several of Malme by s characters have unusually Long arms. At first it seems that the limbs which Are Long enough to drag on the ground Are used simply to give Clovys and other characters a More humorous look. Parade spectators learn otherwise when their hair is tousled by a Clown on the other Side of the Street. While some characters Don t have Long limbs most have some Way of reaching Long distances to unsuspecting bystanders. Such is the Case with the fat Bakers called of of a who carry Long paddles normally used to retrieve bread and other baked goods from Hearth ovens. During carnival in Malme by however the paddle like spatulas Are used to rub the backsides of unsuspecting females. The Long Ramon is a Clown that carries a Broomstick upward of 15 feet tall. This character carries the Long Broom Over his shoulders tickling the faces of people deep in the crowd As Well As those watching from second floor windows. Some characters need no devices to get innocent bystanders involved in the fun. Such is the Case with the Long be which Means Long  wearing Long nosed masks and identical costumes that cover the body from head to toe these characters roam the streets it groups of six or More looking for unsuspecting victims. After targeting their prey the groups of Long noses mimic every movement and gesture the hapless victim makes. The Only Way to get them to Stop according to one Malme by Long nose is to buy the entire group a round of drinks. And victims should t begin to think they can lose the characters inthe crowd. Last year one such group followed a Young Man who jumped Over a Fence turned around jumped Back Over the Fence and ran up a Street. Seven of the characters followed the victim in single file. Hoping to bore the group he leaned on the same Fence Only to have the Long noses rest in line with their legs and arms crossed to match his pose. Still hoping to shake the trailing group the Young Man dashed off then pushed an elderly woman s hat to the Side of her head. The woman ended up straightening her hat seven times As the group followed suit. More than an hour later the Man apparently had still not paid the Price of a round of drinks As he walked around town with the Long noses in Pursuit. After a full Day of parades and assorted zaniness the carnival scheduled Calls for the Street party to begin As if for some reason the Day s activities could t be called a party. Nonetheless the town s restaurants and pubs stay open to the wee hours of the morning to accommodate revellers. Jazz bands roam through the eateries and encourage patrons to dance and sing while other establishments play modern music to standing room Only crowds. The merriment continues almost non Stop throughout the night. And even after a full Day and night of singing dancing shouting and general merrymaking costumed characters appear on the streets Bright and Early each morning during the three Day event ready to reach out to visitors with Long arms and brooms and spatulas or simply follow them around until they get their next drink. Former stars and Stripe Start writer John Millar has returned to the Stales. O o town s unique characters give Celebration its special look 6 Striper aug if far Ujiro 11, 1993