HELAU! HELAU! HELAU!

 
With the arrival of Nov. 11 every year, Mainz and Cologne turn into centers of "Narrentum." In Mainz, the season is opened at 11.11 a.m. by speeches held on the balcony of the Osteiner Hof. From that point on, the jesters officially take over public life in the whole city. Since the "Narr" or jester enjoys absolute freedom of speech, politicians or other public figures can count on being criticized in ironic to satiric poems presented at nightly "Kappensitzungen" organized by numerous Mainzer Carneval-Clubs.

Around that time, you will overhear people discussing what kind of costume they'll wear, and what tricks the women will play on their male relatives, partners and husbands on "Altweiberfastnacht", the Thursday before "Rosenmontag", on which the women are supposedly free to do whatever they like.
 

On the weekend preceeding Rosenmontag, the season picks up speed: colorful parades of all the schools in various costumes, as well as the parade of the "Fassenachtsgarden" turn the city into a bustling center of food and fun. The scents of "Bratwurst mit Pommes", roasted (sugar-coated) almonds, salted pickles, and last not least "Gluehwein" (a kind of punch) which is served steamingly hot in small cups create an atmosphere flavored with the sounds of the season: traditional Fassenacht-tunes and the jolly greeting of the jesters:  "HELAU!"

 The season's climax is the long awaited "Rosenmontag" in February , on which the biggest parade makes its way all through the city of Mainz. In 2001, around 5000 people made up the parade -- and about 45000 visitors (among them 6 Middlebury students) came or stayed to share the spirit.

The parade passes directly underneath the Middlebury apartment in Rheinstraße, so that we get an excellent view of the participants as well as the visitors who put just as much care in the designing of their costumes as the members of the carnival clubs.

The tradition of political
criticism was amply reflected in the parade and expressed by huge wagons which are the pride of the local carneval clubs and designed by their members. The wagon you see aims at the inability of the "Euro" to keep up with the "Dollar." (This image was taken in February 2001).

Events that moved the German public were wholeheartedly ridiculed, as demonstrated by a wagon satirizing a much-criticized "real-life soap" called "BigBrother".

 
If you start in the fall semester and stay for spring, you'll have the chance to discover your potential as a "jester" yourself and learn what it means for Mainz to sing and laugh!





                                               
                                              

                                                All images by courtesy of H.F. and J.B.