Karneval

Being translated from the German Wikipedia article . If you see any improvements that can be made, please do not hesitate. V-Man737 02:42, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
Karneval (From Latin, "carne;" essentially, "farewell to flesh"), also known as Fastnacht (or in South Germany, Fasnet) or Fasching, is the traditional term for the wildness, happiness, and overflow of life's joys before the beginning of the Christian Passion time (between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, particularly practiced in the Catholic church as a time of fasting). Different Karnevalschochburgs (central festivity cities) around the world celebrate this festival, sometimes under different regional names such as Fasnet, Fastelov(v)end, Fas(s)enacht, Faslam, Fasteleer, Faasend, or Fosnet.

Meaning

Fastnacht, Fasnacht, Fasnet

The word Fastnacht and its regional variations are well-used in major parts of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg. Folk etymology often attributes the origin of Fastnacht to Old High German Fasta, meaning "to fast," and naht, meaning "night," in reference to the holiday being observed for only the evening before Lent (prior to the 15th century). Another folk etymology makes a connection to the word "fass," meaning "barrel." In conjugating "fass" with "naht," however, one would come up with "fasanaht," which has an uncertain meaning. A more likely connection is the Indo-European verb root *pwos, meaning "to clean" or "to fast," although perhaps also related to the Middle High German vase, meaning "stupid things" or "frayed fibers." Again, other researchers say that it is from fasel, a Middle High German term for sexually mature cattle or pigs, in an attempt to connect the festival with pre-Christian fertility celebrations.

Fasching

The word Fasching first emerged in High German in the 13th century in the forms vashanc and vaschang. However, according to etymological research, the exact origin and meaning are unclear. It is somewhat certain that the latter part does not have anything to do with New High German, but rather the Middle Low German word fastgang, from the Old Nordic term fostugangr, used to refer to the beginning of the fasting period.

The switch to ending the word with ing is clearly recent. Fasching was particularly used in Bavaria, Austria, Franconia, Saxony, Brandenburg, Hamburg, and parts of Hessen, Swabia, and Lower Saxony. Today, usage of this term has also spread to Northern Germany as well as the "non-fasching towns," since it is more clearly differentiated from the Rhein Karneval and the Schwäbisch-Alemannischen Fastnacht, and is generally felt to be a more neutral term.

Karneval

From the Bonn-Ehrfurt-Dresden line and northward in Germany, the word Karneval is used almost exclusively. However, this refers primarily to the Rhein Karneval (see also Cologne Karneval). The origin of the term is not redundantly repeated or clearly clarified. Derivations point to Middle Latin:

Carnelevale (-levare), the "meat removal (approaching fasting time);"
In the 19th century, the term was also attributed to a Roman, pre-Christian "ship truck" ("carrus navalis" in Latin), a ship on wheels, which was led annually in the reopening of the navigation of the roads. From this the tradition of the Narrschiff ("fool ship") is to have formed. However, research has concluded that the term "carrus navalis" did not exist in classical Latin.

"Karneval"-type structures of masking, disguising, and ritualistic "letting-out" can be found in all cultures. A completely dependent culture remarkably developed the Karneval in Latin America. ^{[citation needed]}

World-wide, Karneval is very differently celebrated. Among other things are the Carnival in Rio, Carnival in Venice and the Carnival of Québec. Also in the Southern United States of the USA there is a pronounced Carnival tradition. The French designation Mardi gras (fat Tuesday) is used there.

General course of events

Beginning

The beginning of Karneval is traditionally considered in German-speaking countries to be at the end of Epiphany, known in German as Dreikönigstag. Since the 19th century, many local areas commence individual meetings on November 11, starting from 11:11, to find which particular pair of princes belongs where. The background is that Christmas was, briefly (before an adjustment in the year 354), planned to be preceded by a 40-day fasting period, as it is in Karneval today. Likewise, meat was later forbidden to be consumed (excepting a goose meal on Martinstag, which is November 11).

In the major cities along the Rhine, however, the time of the 12th of November to the 5th of January remains even longer, to a large extent, "Karneval-free," which is itself from the mentioned pre-Christmas fasting time. This was a role of November, that of a mourning month, and was a time to deliberately avow oneself of the character of the Advent. As the Karneval beginning is often referred to as Vorverlagerung ("moving forward") or as Saisoneröffnung ("season opening") at the 11th of November, this is a little misleading. Rather, from its developing history, the 11th of November represents a second, "small" Karneval.

High point

The high point of the week of Fastnacht is reached on Fat Thursday ("Schmutzigen Donnerstag," from Schmotz, or Schmalz, which refers to Fastnacht pastries baked in Schmalz) or, in some cases, Weiberfastnacht ("Women's Fastnacht,") above(after?) Carnation Saturday, Tulip Sunday, Rose Monday, and up to Fasting Tuesday (also Violet Tuesday). There are corresponding parades in particular on Rose Monday - originally referring not to the flower, but to the verb rasen, meaning "to race." According to other interpretations, Rose Monday owes its name to the fourth Fast Sunday, Rose Sunday.

The biggest parades take place in the Karnevalschochburgen ("Karneval center" or "Karneval stronghold"): Cologne, Mainz, Duesseldorf, Eschweiler, Euskirchen, Bonn, Koblenz, Krefeld and Aachen. In addition, in the South, near Frankfurt (Fastnacht Sunday), Mannheim (Fastnacht Sunday), or Karlsruhe (Fastnacht Tuesday), there are large parades with several hundred thousand visitors. The largest parade in North Germany, called the Schoduvel (From Middle Low German, meaning "shunning of the devil"), is held in Braunschweig on Fastnacht Sunday.