Carnival 2014: Postlude and Links

POSTLUDE

This is the conclusion of my eight-part narrative on Carnival (please avail yourself of the links to previous portions placed conveniently for you at the bottom of this post). At the end of this brief series, I am content to have shared a bit of my perspective on Carnival with interested readers. By now all the fellas should know better than to wear their favorite ties to work on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, for fear that some frisky gals will snip the ties in half, steal a few kisses, and hang the tie remnants in their trophy cases.

You're welcome!

But I am also humbled by how much I do not know about this wonderful world of ours, and the many interesting traditions such as Carnival observed around the world. For example, only after I set out to write this little memoir did I learn of the Carnival of Binche. Have you heard of it? Did you know that in 2003, Belgium's Carnaval de Binche was designated a UNESCO masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage? Even if you are not a Christian of European descent, the Carnaval de Binche is "kind of a big deal."

Some of the 1000 Gilles of Binche wearing their unique and historical Shrove Tuesday costumes

What is a Gille, you ask? (Go ahead, ask, I'll wait.) The Gilles are the principle costumed participants in the 700-year old Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 a.m. until late hours and dance to traditional songs. 

Here's what Wiki has to say about the Gilles of the Carnival of Binche:

"There are around 1000 Gilles, all male, some as young as 3 years old. All wear the traditional costume of the Gille on Shrove Tuesday. The outfit features a linen suit with red, yellow and black heraldic designs (the colours of the Belgian flag), trimmed with large white lace cuffs and collars. The suit is stuffed with straw, giving the Gille a hunched back. They also wear wooden clogs and have bells attached to their belts. In the morning they wear a mask of a particular design. After reaching the town hall, they remove these masks — they are not worn in the afternoon. During the afternoon parade, they throw blood oranges to (and sometimes at) the crowd and some of the Gilles wear large, white, feathered hats. They carry ramons, tied bunches of twigs, and baskets in which to carry the oranges. Their sticks are said to ward off evil spirits." --Wikipedia

The gap between what I have seen and all that is left to experience fills me with wonder and a lust for adventure. (Wanderlust?) I hope readers find some inspiration in the memories and plans I have shared.

Before offering you some wonderfully amusing links, I'll conclude with these simple observations:

• What makes Mardi Gras, Carnival of Binche, Fasching, Carnaval, Fastan, Fastelavn, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, etc., different depends on where you are from or where you happen to live. Whether and how you celebrate Carnival is largely an accident of birth! 
• So, what is it about Carnival that compels people around the world to celebrate it? What is the common link connecting the various versions? Perhaps our shared humanity is what unites us once a year, as words such as these are heard 'round the world....

New Orleans: "Let the good times roll!"

or Laissez les bons temps rouler!

(sounds like, Lay say lay bohn tohn roo lay!)

Venice: "A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale!"

Anything goes at Carnival!
a scherzo (SKAIR-zoh) is a practical joke

Mainz: "Helau! Helau!"
(sounds like, Hello! Hello!)

originated from a burlesque ("Fastnachtsspiel") played in Düsseldorf in 1833

Alexandria: "Pass the donuts! Or doughnuts? Or Kinklings, Pączki, or Fasnachts!?"

Rio de Janeiro: "Todo bem!"

Daytona Beach: "Gentlemen (and ladies!), start your engines!"

Here are some selected LINKS to fuel your own PRE-LENTEN ADVENTURES next year!

10 Vocabulary Words to Learn

1. Carnival: Carne (meat or flesh) Vale (farewell)
2. Shrove: Shriving is the act of confessing sins
3. Mardi, Martedi, and Dienstag all mean Tuesday
4. Gras and Grasso mean Fat
5. Rosenmontag is not about roses but raves
6. Krewe, as in, Krewe of Bacchus
7. Gilles: costumed participants in the 700-year old Carnival of Binche in Belgium
8. UNESCO: the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 
9. Wanderlust: a passion for travel
10. Samba: a Brazilian dance of African origin.

10 Celebrations to Enjoy

1. Mardi Gras in New Orleans 
2. Martedi Grasso at Carnevale (Venice)
3. Karnival (Northern and Western Germany)
4. Fasching (Eastern and Southern Germany)
5. Carnaval (Brazil)
6. Carnival of Binche (Belgium)
7. Fastan
8. Fastelavn (Denmark, Norway, Iceland)
9. Pancake Tuesday
10. Shrove Tuesday

10 Locations to Visit

1. New Orleans French Quarter
2. Venice St. Mark's Square
3. Rhineland-Palatinate 
4. Mainz. Germany
5. Old Town Alexandria, the most Romantic Place on Earth
6. Sao Paolo
7. Rio de Janeiro
8. Copacabana Beach
9. Ipanema Beach 
10. Daytona Beach

10 Foods to Eat and Drinks to Imbibe

1. German Fasnacht_(doughnut) 
2. Polish Paczki  
3. French King Cake 
4. Hurricane Punch  
5. Frittelle di carnevale, aka zeppole 
6. Venetian Carnival Fritters aka frappe 
7. Castagnole 
8. Beignets
9. Chickory coffee
10. Andygator, the Imperial Pilsner from Louisiana's own Abita Brewing

10 Tangents to Explore

1. Daytona Bike Week (pre-Lenten debauchery in years where Easter comes really, really late)
2. Notre Dame Architecture Beaux Arts Ball
3. Trophy case for displaying ties cut off during carnival 
4. Get Mardi Gras beads without flashing for them
5. Fantastic Masquerade Ball costume ideas 
6. Why do people eat pancakes for Shrove Tuesday? 
7. How to eat pancakes, celebrate Fat Tuesday, and help the less fortunate in one fell swoop 
8. How to order your own, high quality Doubloons 
9. Why do some women flash for beads? 
10. Tab Benoit, American Delta blues artist from Baton Rouge 

The Gilles of Binche Await You 

Previous seven links in this 8-part series

1. Carnival Prelude
2. Carnival 1981: New Orleans
3. Carnival 1982: Italy
4. Carnival 1997: Germany
5. Carnival 2014: Alexandria and environs
6. Carnival 2016: Brazil
7. Carnival 2030: Daytona

"If your life were a movie, would anyone watch?"

Carnival 2030: Daytona

This is the seventh installment in an 8-part series on Carnival, the biggest party in the world

Dateline (proposed): DAYTONA, March 5, 2030

Daytona Beach, Florida is known for many things, such as the Daytona 500 auto race, and wild college students cutting loose on Spring Break. Not the least of the events attracting folks to Florida is the famous Daytona Bike Week celebration. This year (2014) will be the 73rd annual gathering. I have yet to attend either the aforementioned race or the Spring Break activities, and at this point in my life I am unlikely to chase either of these events. I have not yet been to Bike Week either--but if this party is anything like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, I must find a way!

And what does any of this have to do with Mardi Gras, you ask? (Go ahead, ask. I'll wait....). Good question! Daytona Bike Week (DBW) begins on the first Friday in March and runs for 11 days, encompassing two weekends. This year, DBW (7 - 16 Mar) occurs after Ash Wednesday (5 Mar). I wonder if the fact that DBW occurs during Lent will help curb the debauchery? On the other hand, I also wonder if DBW is more fun in years where we have a late Easter...?

This got me wondering, when is the next time the first Tuesday in March is also Fat Tuesday? Talk about worlds colliding! So I constructed the table below. As it happens, this confluence is a fairly infrequent occurrence.

Comparing Daytona Bike Week to Fat Tuesday

Daytona Bike Week is highlighted in yellow. Ash Wednesday is represented in the grey column. From 2014 to 2040, a span of 27 years, only twice (2030 and 2038) does Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday, fall on the first Tuesday in March, i.e., during DBW.

Someday

My girlfriend is tall, has auburn hair, rides a Softail Custom Deluxe similar to the Softail Springer in the painting above. (Incidentally, she looks great in riding leathers, too!) Now we just need to get to Daytona for Bike Week! And when we do, I will take and post a photo just like this one. If we happen to attend DBW during Mardi Gras, Katy, bar the door!



Long before the Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, race car drivers flocked to Daytona Beach to race on the well packed beach. The wide beach and smooth sands created the perfect site for testing and racing high speed automobiles. By the mid 1920s the new Pier Casino attracted many Florida vacationers, including many race car drivers. When their photographs circulated worldwide, Daytona Beach took on the catch phrase the World's Most Famous Beach. 

Mention Daytona Beach, and one of the first phrases likely to pop into people's minds is "gentleman, start your engines." This famous catchphrase, often used to mark the start of a race, fits Daytona well, as it is a city with a true passion for racing, the automobile, and chasing that elusive next speed record. Graced with miles of prime beachfront, it is also a wonderful holiday destination, and has some massively popular special events.

Most famous of all of Daytona's annual events is the Daytona 500. Held every February at the Daytona International Speedway, it draws hundreds of thousands eager to see the best drivers in the world risk life and limb driving the fastest cars. Another spectacle that shouldn't be missed is Bike Week in early March, during which thousands of loud Harleys and their even louder owners take over Daytona and are celebrated for it.

At some point during all the excitement at Daytona, you may want to take a step back from the crowds and merrymakers. For a great view and the possibility of some excellent photos, climb the 200-stair Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. Another way to relax is to stop by something you could only find in the USA--the Little Chapel by the Sea, which used to be a drive-in theatre, and has now been reborn as a drive-in church.

A first word of advice--if you are going to be in town during any of the above mentioned special events, book well in advance. Also, if you are with your family and/or wish to keep the party scene at arm's length, look to stay to the west of Daytona or in New Smyrna Beach. Fine restaurants abound--for something upmarket, try Rosario's Restaurant, and for some delicious seafood (their oysters come from their own beds) a good choice is JB's Fish Camp and Restaurant.

"Gentlemen (and ladies!), start your engines!"

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Daytona 200 

Carnival 1997: Germany

This is the fourth installment in an 8-part series about Carnival

Dateline: GERMANY, Monday, February 10, 1997 (Rosenmontag)

So far in our Carnival journey, we have walked from humble beginnings in Nebraska to French-influenced Mardis Gras in New Orleans and Roman Catholic Carnavale in Italy. Now we branch out from Rome to Germany. The former Roman settlements of Cologne, Bonn and Mainz still celebrate Carnival, where it is also known as the “fifth season.” Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and then Carnival--the annual rebirth of the world. 

Actually, Carnival goes by many names in Germany, depending on the region and dialect. The Rhineland has its Karneval, Austria, Bavaria and Berlin calls theirs Fasching (FAH-shing), and the German Swiss celebrate Fastnacht. Whether you call it Fastnacht, Fasching or Karneval, this season is a time for revelry, humor, and satire. Although its origins go back to ancient pagan times, it is the Romans and the Italians to whom the Germans owe many aspects of their celebration.

I was fortunate to be stationed in Germany 3 times during my military career. The first time (1985-'86), my actual duty was in a remote outpost in Muslim Turkey, which was a great experience--though for reasons of religious preference it does not figure into this story. The third tour (1998-2000) I was located in Bavaria, but I stayed pretty busy during that time (road trips to Albania and Kosovo) and have no recollection of Carnival. However, my second adventure in Germany (1997-'98) was centered at Panzer Kaserne, in the city of Kaiserslautern, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Budesland Rheinland-Pfalz), which borders France, Luxembourg, and Belgium. And that, gentle readers, was a grand place for a party.

The Carnival season in Germany ("Fifth Season") officially begins on November 11th, at 11:11 a.m. In this magic hour, the "Council of Eleven" comes together to plan the events for the upcoming festivities. The official hats of the councils' members: Colorful fool's caps with little bells. Their duties: organize the actual celebrations of the German carnival which all take place the week before Lent begins--about 40 days before Easter. These festivities are the last big party before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. There are events, parades, and traditional activities that fill the week of revelry.

Women’s Carnival Thursday
The celebrations kick off with "Women’s Carnival" on Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Ladies love this day: they can kiss any man they like--after cutting off his tie. The pretty German secretary in our office at Panzer Kaserne had a collection of at least 40 snipped ties she'd nailed to her office wall as a testament to her prowess. Women's Carnival is known by many named in Germany: der Weiberfastnacht, Fastelabend, Schmutziger, Donnerstagor, Schmotzige, Dunschstig, Dorendonderdach, feister Phinztag, gumpiger Donstag, kleine Fastnacht (Oberrhein), fetter Donnerstag, schwerer Donnerstag (Rheinland),Semperstag, tumbe Fassnacht, unsinniger Donnerstag, Weiberdonnerstag, wuetig Donnerstag, Wuscheltag (Basel), Zemperstag, Zimpertag.

Rose Monday

There are parades and feasts on Saturday and Sunday but the next major highlight is Rose Monday: Marching bands, dancers, and floats parade down the streets, throwing confetti, sweets, and toys. The elaborate floats often show caricatured figures mocking politicians and other personalities. Thousands of dressed-up Germans flock the streets every year to watch this spectacle. The capital of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is Mainz, and the region's most spectacular celebrations occurred there. We made the 80 km trek from Kaiserslautern to Mainz by train to observe and participate.

This video was published in Jan 2013, but it brought back some great memories for me.  Note that shouts of “Helau!” — the traditional Mainz Carnival greeting — fill the air.

Rose Monday der Rosenmontag, and the Rose Monday Parade der Rosenmontagumzug is a big deal. Rosenmontag actually has nothing to do with roses, but is derived from rasen, to rave or rage! This is the big parade day for Karneval in Cologne and Mainz, while Fasching in the south reaches its climax on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras, "Fat Tuesday"). Shrove Tuesday is also known as der Fastnachtsdienstag, der Faschingsdienstag

Shrove Tuesday
Almost every German city celebrates Carnival and organizes a Shrove Tuesday street parade in its city center. The best and most traditional Carnival festivities take place in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Münster, and Aachen.

On Shrove Tuesday evening, costume balls are held all over Germany. Special treats are made to enjoy prior to the fast of Lent. These treats usually contain the last of the pantry's lard and sugar. The quiet Ash Wednesday marks the end of the frenzied fun.

Enjoy life! The earth is reborn! Mardi Gras! Or, as we say in Mainz,

“Helau! Helau! Helau!”

Carnival 1981: New Orleans

This is the second part of an 8-part series about Carnival 

Dateline: NEW ORLEANS, March 3, 1981

In the United States, mention "Mardi Gras," and the first city that pops to mind is New Orleans. Fittingly, my personal story of Carnival also begins in this fabled town. Bourbon Street revelry. Parades down St Charles Ave. Hurricane daiquiris at Pat O'Brien's. Chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. And beads. And doubloons. Lots and lots of beads and doubloons. What people will do to earn these trinkets is the stuff of legend.

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday of course begins the solemn, 40-day long season of Lent culminating in remembering Christ's crucifixion and celebrating his resurrection on Easter. (Well actually, it's 46 days, but how one counts the days of Lent is the subject of a different post.)

A float is seen in the parade down St. Charles Avenue

I first experienced Mardi Gras as a cadet in the Army ROTC Drill Team in 1981. By day, we competed against other schools' drill teams, put on demonstrations for the public, and marched in parades like Endymion, Isis, and Apollo. By night, we attempted to pack as much of the intoxicating sights and sounds as possible, before curfew--complete with bed check.

Scene on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras

I was out of the country in 1982, but I did return with the Notre Dame Army ROTC Drill Team to Mardi Gras in 1983. I've also been back for the Sugar Bowl to watch Notre Dame disappoint Steve Spurrier's  favored Gators on New Year's Eve, 1991. But I digress... My point: Pictures do not do this city or its beguiling scenery justice! The French Quarter of New Orleans is spectacular year round, but is not to be missed during Mardi Gras!

Carnival originated as a pagan ritual of spring, but it was co-opted by the early Christian church and incorporated into the liturgical calendar as a precursor to season of Lent. As the Church grew and spread her influence, the traditions of Carnival spread as well. Today, Carnival is celebrated around the world, particularly in Catholic areas which were, at one time, under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire.

New Orleans is synonymous with Mardi Gras in part because it was settled by French Catholics. (More information about the history of Louisiana and New Orleans available HERE.) In the next installments of our Carnival series, we'll call out similar Roman Catholic roots and notice local differences in how Carnival is observed in Venice, Mainz, Rio de Janeiro, Daytona Beach (?), and my home in Alexandria.

Let the Good Times Roll! Or, as we say in Nawlins, Laissez les bons temps rouler!