Alaaf and Helau!: What is the difference between Carnival and Fasching?
Carnival, Mardi Gras, Fastnacht – is it all the same or is there a difference? We'll explain.
"Oh yes, it's carnival time now," say some. "It's called carnival !" counter others. But which is true? Is one side right, or maybe even both?
What lies behind the terms "carnival" and "Fasching"Simply put: Carnival and Fasching celebrate the same festival, namely Lent in Christianity. It runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter . However, if we take a closer look at the origin of the terms, there is a small but subtle difference. Is this taken into account in today's parades and celebrations? Doubtful.
The word Fasching comes from the Middle Low German term "Vaschang", which means serving the fasting drink. This means that the focus is on the last alcoholic drink before Lent.
Where the term carnival comes from is not known for certain. However, it is assumed that it is derived from the Middle Latin words "de carne levare ieiunium" ( fasting by abstaining from meat) and the Italian expression "carne vale" (meat, farewell). The focus here is therefore on abstaining from meat.
Carnival or Fasching? Depends on the regionUltimately, today it depends more on the location whether one speaks of carnival or Fasching. The former is particularly popular in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Rhineland, as well as in some parts of northern Germany. Fasching, on the other hand, is popular in parts of Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and beyond Germany in Austria. A third common term is Fastnacht. This is used predominantly in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Saarland.
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In addition to the general term for the present time, we also keep hearing different terms, Helau and Alaaf, Jecken and Narren. This, too, depends on the region: everyone is talking about the fool's time, but in the Rhineland it is the Jeck:innen who celebrate, elsewhere it is the Färr:innen. Alaaf, which means something like "above all", is said especially in Cologne, Aachen, Leverkusen and Bonn. Helau, which is probably similar to "Hallelujah", is used by people in Düsseldorf, Koblenz and Mainz. In Saarland, people rely a lot on "Alleh hopp", in other regions animal noises such as "Wau-Wau" are also popular.
So: Depending on where we are, we pick the right terms and plunge into the tumult. At least, if you like it. Traditionally, the season begins on November 11th at 11.11 a.m., but the peak is right now, starting with Women's Carnival on February 27th and ending with Ash Wednesday on March 5th. The days in between are called Carnival Friday (also Sooty Friday), Carnival Saturday (also Schmalziger Saturday), Carnival Sunday (also Rose, Tulip, Fastnacht or Mardi Gras Sunday), Rose Monday and Carnival Tuesday (also Shrove Tuesday, Fastnacht or Violet Tuesday).
Sources used: brisant.de, focus.de
sas Brigitte
brigitte
