Money Troubles in Carnival Land

7/30/2019 Money Troubles in Carnival Land

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Money Troubles in Carnival Land

Carnival in the Rhineland culminates this week, but Germany's economic downturn has

created problems for the region's carnival associations. With reduced government support

and donations, many face an existential crisis.

Are they crying

behind their smiles?

During the days of

Carnival, liquor

flows freely as do

the euros when

millions are joining

in the parades and

street parties of

Germany's largest public event. Countless bars and restaurants are full and of visitors

flock to the Rhineland for the six days of festivities.

The star attraction

is always the

Carnival

associations, with

their elaborately

decorated floats and

extravagant

costumes. They

include everything

from neighborhood groups to social groups, including gays and lesbians. Most dress as

18th century French soldiers (photo) -- a mocking gesture to the region's former occupier.For a long time now, Carnival has been an important part of the economy in the cities and

towns in the Rhineland and along the Main River. But with a flagging economy in

Germany and diminished purchasing power, people are more reluctant to shell out money

for costumes, beer and the expensive parties hosted by carnival associations. That's

created a crisis for the groups.


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Fewer sales, fewer subsidies

"In Cologne, where the biggest Carnival celebrations are held, some groups are really

having trouble this year," said Franz Wolf, president of the German Carnival Association.

"At some of the events only 80 percent of the tickets were sold and empty tables could be

found. Those are the first indications that something is wrong."

Wolf doesn't believe the economy has anything to do with it.

"In my opinion, what the hospitality industry did after the change from the Deutsch mark

to the euro was impossible," he said. "In many cases, they just kept the deutsche mark

price and put a euro sign in front of it making things twice as expensive. Nobody can pay

the new prices."

In some places there are empty halls, empty bars, and even empty cash registers. With

lower tax revenues pouring in, many cities have also reduced the amount of subsidies

they give to the different Carnival associations.

Then German

Labor Minister

Walter Riester is

pictured tortured as

he appears during

the 2001carnival

parade in

Dsseldorf.

Donations to the

groups have also

dropped and they're having trouble making ends meet. The average Carnival association

spends about 400,000 ($506,000) each year for everything from candy that's tossed to

crowds during parades to portable restrooms.

An industry worth billions

In order to plug the holes in their budgets, the associations have started doing what

sporting event organizers have long been doing: They're charging TV stations for therights to broadcast their annual parties, which are often filled with celebrities and

politicians.

Public broadcaster WDR in North-Rhine-Westphalia recently purchased the exclusive

rights to broadcast massive Rose Monday parade in Cologne. Other broadcasters are

limited to covering the event in news reports.


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WDR is rumored to have paid in the seven figures for those rights. But WDR isn't telling.

Tough times or not, Carnival is an event that brings in big money that reaches virtually

every business in the region.

"It starts out when the women go to the hairdresser," Wolf said. "They then attend a

Carnival event and they take a taxi or public transportation to get there. They also buy

costumes, drinks, meals."

It's even been the subject of McKinsey study. The consulting company found that

Germany's Carnival is a 4 billion industry.

The Business of CarnivalCELEBRATING CARNIVAL

1 Carnival Across the Globe

2 The Historical Roots of Carnival in Germany

3 Wild Weeks on the Rhine

4 Carnival in Germany's Rhineland

5 An Afghan Celebrates Carnival

6 Women Rule the Day in Germany

7 The Business of Carnival

Germany's Rhineland is on the cusp of its annual carnival climax, and it is not only the

local jesters who are dancing a jig of joy. Carnival has, over the years, come to mean big

business and big bucks for Germany.

Will they help to

boost Germany's

economy?

One of the greatest

money spinners at

this time of year is

fancy dress. From

funny costumes to

crazy wigs -- shops

that stock it, flog it. En masse. Spread out over 3000 square meters (32,300 square feet),

Germany's biggest carnival store, "Karnevalswierts" is like a scene from the post-

Christmas sales. No sign of consumer apath here.

Frank Schrder, who manages the store, said he can't complain.

"Maybe tough times make people all the more determined to celebrate," he said. "Perhaps
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people work on the basis that even if they can't afford a holiday, they will aim to have a

good time at carnival."

Probably one of the

tamer soccer-

themed Carnival

hats

Preparations for the

Rhineland's festive

season get

underway before

the official start on

Nov. 11. By the

time Christmas rolls around, the Cologne carnival business is kitting out as many as

10,000 customers daily.

Soccer-themed costumes are a big seller this year as Germany is hosting the World Cup in

the summer.

"We have soccer overalls, scarves, caps and lots of other things," Schrder said, adding

that he believes these kinds of outfits will remain popular way beyond Ash Wednesday,

the official end of carnival.

Billion-dollar industry

But costumes are only one part of the seasonal industry. Restaurants and bars also do

good business, as do those who make the candy -- tons of which is thrown through the air

as part of the Rose Monday processions.

Tourism and taxi drivers equally experience a boom during carnival time.

Even crazy folks

must eat

"The annual

revenue amounts to

between 4 and 5million euros ($4.7

billion to $5.9

billion)," said

Volker Wagner, the

president of the


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German Carnival Association, adding that in Cologne alone, carnival brings in revenues

of 350 million euros.

About 3,000 people in the city have also found work because of the "fifth" season.

Wagner said that 30 companies in Germany produce carnival medals year round.

"Gastronomy, cab companies and others -- they may not live off carnival, but it certainly

contributes to business as a lot of extra people are employed during that time," Wagner

said.

But not everyone stands to benefit from carnival: Fewer and fewer people attend the big

galas put on by carnival associations, opting to watch the festivities on television instead.

But Wagner partly blamed gala organizers, who charge outrageous sums for drinks, such

as 9.80 euros for a bottle of mineral water.

"Now that's just crazy," he said.

Wild Weeks on the RhineCELEBRATING CARNIVAL








The people along the Rhine tend to go crazy over carnival. They'll let it all hang out

during the time they refer to as the "fifth season".

The carnival parade

is the highlight of

the season.

In Mainz, Cologne

and Dsseldorf, the

Carnival season

gets off to an early

start.

People here

celebrate the official opening of the season in November: on the 11th day of the 11th

month at 11:11 in the morning the number eleven is traditionally associated with


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Carnival.

A wild week

The last week of Carnival -- the week prior to Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day

of Lent -- is when the celebrations become the wildest.

In the Rhine region, public life comes to a complete stand-still during these days.

People are out all day and most of the night, dressed up in colorful costumes.

Foreigners who visit cities like Cologne or Dsseldorf during these festive days often find

it hard to believe that there are so many grown-ups everywhere wearing ridiculous

costumes, make-up, funny hats and wigs.

Are these really the same Germans who are stereotyped as being Prussian, efficient and

without any trace of a sense of humor?

Women's Carnival: Weiberfastnacht

One of the highlights of Carnival in the Rhineland is "Weiberfastnacht" or Women's

Carnival.

It's celebrated on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday -- this year that'll be the 7th of

February.

On "Weiberfastnacht", women are allowed to do (almost) as they please.

Traditionally, a delegation of women - symbolically - storms the city's town hall in the

morning and makes the mayor hand over control of the city to the women.

As a symbol of cutting off men's power on "Weiberfastnacht", women cut off men's ties.

The men are then compensated with a little kiss on the cheek.

Every man who wears a suit and tie is open game on this day - so you'd better wear a tie

you dont really like.

Carnival parades

The Monday before Ash Wendnesday (February 26th this year) is called "Rose Monday".

On this day, Cologne, Mainz, Dsseldorf and many smaller towns put on large and

colorful parades.

Gigantic floats are decorated to poke fun at politicians or events that happened during the

past year.The highlight of the parade is always the float with the carnival prince and his court.

People on all the floats throw candy and flowers to the people watching along the way.

In between the floats, marching bands play Carnival songs, the lyrics of which everyone

in these cities knows by heart and can sing along.

Hundreds of thousands of people watch the parade go by from the sidewalks and millions


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tune in to the live coverage on national German television.

Carnival cheers

There are even special carnival cheers in the different cities: in Mainz and Dsseldorf,

people will shout 'Helau', in Cologne they say 'Klle Alaaf'.

And the many gays and lesbians in Cologne have come up with their own Carnival cheer:

their greeting is 'Klle Aloha'.

2 Date 15.01.2002

Carnival in Germany's RhinelandCELEBRATING CARNIVAL



3 Wild Weeks on the Rhine4 Carnival in Germany's Rhineland




In Germany, carnival is celebrated mainly along the Rhine. At this time of year, you'll

meet Germans in Mainz, Cologne or Dsseldorf like you never thought you would.

The most popular

costume for

carnival: the clown.

In Germany's

mainly Catholic

cities along the

Rhine, Carnival is

something

altogether different.

Here it's so bound up with the yearly routine that its commonly referred to as 'the fifth

season'.

The celebration of Carnival is deeply rooted in Catholicism and connected to the

observance of Lent with some of its traditions dating back to the Middle Ages.

But many of the Carnival traditions observed here today only go back to the days of the

Prussian occupation of the Rhine region in the early 19th century.

Carnival along the Rhine is a time of year for people to let loose and have fun. They'll be


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drinking and partying until they have to sober up 40 days before Easter.

And it's a time of year when you'll experience Germany and the Germans in a way you

never thought possible.WWW LINKS

An Afghan Celebrates CarnivalCELEBRATING CARNIVAL






6 Women Rule the Day in Germany7 The Business of Carnival

Kabul is a long way from Bonn, Germany, but for Feros, a young Afghan bartender, the

city on the Rhine is home, especially during the crazy days of Carnival.

Feros tends the taps

in his Carnival pub

in Bonn-Buschdorf

Standing behind a

row of beer taps,the bartender smiles

at his customers. He

draws a beer, hands

it to them and turns

up the volume on the music. A popular melody floats across the smoky air, and the guests

sing along, lifting their beer glasses in a toast.

Its Carnival time in BonnBuschdorf, a small village outside Germanys former capital.

And the town is gathered for a few beers and lively talk in the local pub, "Old

Buschdorf".

During this time of the year, colorfully decorated pubs throughout the Rhine region open

their doors to party-hungry guests, but Buschdorfs old town pub is slightly different.

Its owned and operated by an Afghan family.

So instead of the usual older, heavy-set German typically found in small village pubs, a


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young Afghan tends to the taps and chats with his guests. His name is Feros and hes 20

years old.

Second Home

Sixteen years ago Feros family left Afghanistan and came to Germany. First they went to

Rdisheim on the Rhine and then to Bonn, where Feros grew up, learned German and

went to school.

"Bonn is pretty okay. Its my second home, after Afghanistan," Feros says.

A year ago Feros and his mother and father took over the ownership of Bushdorfs oldest

bar and restaurant, turning the turn-of-the-century building into a popular meeting point

for the village.

In the summer, the courtyard behind the house doubles up as a beer garden with colorful

lights. Feros and his father grill lamb steaks on a giant grill and serve traditional Afghan

fare on long picnic tables.

During the winter, the pub is rather quiet. Only the regulars come, sit around the bar and

exchange stories.

But at Carnival time, Feros pub livens up. It becomes the "royal headquarters" of

Buschdorfs own Carnival prince and princess. Every night Gerd III and Ilona I reign

over the foolish festivities. They drink beer, buy rounds for the other regulars, laugh and

tell jokes.

The business of fun

This is the first year Feros and his family will be directly involved in organizing

traditional Carnival activities. And theyve got a lot planned.

All the festivities will break out on Thursday with the traditional "Weiberfastnacht" or

Womens Carnival. For the big night, the family has installed a sound system and set up a

beer keg in the garden. Theres even a dance floor and a disco lamp, and a local

Buschdorf band will stop in for a few rounds of merry-making.

"Its going to be a big party here," Feros says sweeping his hands confidently around the

pub.

The people will come and laugh, drink, eat and have a good time, he says.Asked why hes going to so much effort to impress the people of Buschdorf, Feros

replies, "I want to show everyone what we can do."

As for costumes, an integral part of Carnival, the barkeeper has that worked out too. "Ill

probably go as a devil, with a scary mask," he says, "or maybe with a clowns nose."

continued on page 2


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DW.DE

Women Rule the Day in GermanyCELEBRATING CARNIVAL








Armed with bottles of Schnaps, sharp scissors and even sharper words, women across the

Rhine region stormed town halls and mayors offices at 11:11 sharp today.

Beauties native to

the region

No, its not a

feminist guerilla

army invading

Germanys cities.

Its Carnival

Womens Carnival,to be exact.

And throughout the Rhine region, from Dsseldorf to Koblenz, Germanys merry women

took charge of the festivities for the day.

Under the motto "ladies first", the German women enjoy the privilege of kicking off the

six consecutive days of partying starting on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.

The German women take their task very seriously. Shortly before 11:00 they don silly

wigs, clown costumes and begin singing loudly. Then, swaying back and forth, arm-in-

arm, they make their way to the town hall.At exactly 11:11 they storm the municipal building, rushing around and pushing the men

out, laughing all the while.

The few unfortunate men to be caught have to endure the punishment: the women cut off

their dangling ... ties.

In Dsseldorf the mayors own daughter had this privilege. But Mayor Joachim Erwin


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has a reserve of at least 21 more ties, plenty of trophies for several more women.

Klle Alaaf

This year more than 10,000 "jecks" or fools gathered in Colognes old town center for the

count down and start of the street carnival.

The Cologne Carnival, one of Germanys largest, is a real holiday for the city. At 11:00

on Thursday all work stops, businesses and offices shut down. Colleagues pull out their

costumes and sway to folksy Carnival songs.

At 11:11 they all cry out "Klle Alaaf", which basically means, lets party.

Of course the beer never stops flowing. The traditional Cologne brew, Klsch, is always

close at hand. Pubs and restaurants throughout the city throw open their doors and

welcome the seasonal fools at all hours.

On Friday its back to work for those who havent taken the day off or called in sick.

DW.DE

Carnival Across the GlobeCELEBRATING CARNIVAL





5 An Afghan Celebrates Carnival6 Women Rule the Day in Germany


Carnival is celebrated differently in many countries all over the world.

A carnival parade in

Mainz on the Rhine

Its January and

people all over the

world arecelebrating

Carnival.

In Brazil, it's a hot

festival with samba

dancing in Rio's Sambodrome and glittering parades throughout the citys streets.


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In the U.S., it's known as Mardi Gras and celebrated mainly in New Orleans and the Deep

South.

In Switzerland, the festivities are called 'Fastnacht' and combine medieval rituals such as

the dance of death with modern day masquerades and a jubilant party atmosphere.

In German cities along the Rhine, Carnival is deeply rooted in Catholicism and connected

to the observance of Lent with some of its traditions dating back to the Middle Ages.

But these days, it's mostly an occasion for people to go out, drink, dress up in fancy

costumes and party the night away.WWW LINKS

The Historical Roots of Carnival in Germany

CELEBRATING CARNIVAL1 Carnival Across the Globe







People in Germany have been celebrating Carnival since the Middle Ages. Today, few

people are aware of the historical roots of the tradition.

Many Carnival

outfits are

reminiscent of

Prussian univorms.

People in Germany

have been

celebrating a form

of Carnival since

the Middle Ages.

But even before

that, people performed heathen rituals at this time of year to celebrate the end of winter.

During Roman times, for instance, people along the Rhine celebrated a festival in honor

of their wine god Dionysos in spring - a feast with much drinking and laughing, a feast


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during which people had complete freedom to criticize authorities without fear of

repercussions for a few days. Some of that tradition still lives on today.

Night before the fast

When regions along the Rhine where christianized, the heathen festival was integrated

into the official church calendar and developed into what later became known as

Carnival.

The celebration takes place six weeks before Easter, just before the period of fasting or

Lent begins. In fact, the original name still used in parts of the German speaking world,

"Fastnacht" (night before the fast), reveals these early Christian origins.

The 40 days leading up to Easter were intended as a quiet, reflective time. According to

the church, people should abstain from heavy eating and drinking during Lent as a way to

remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Living it up

But before these sobering weeks began, many of the Christians wanted to enjoy

themselves and live it up one last time.

Eating and drinking, rowdy behavior and indulging in the pleasures of the flesh were all

considered a part of preparing oneself for the fast, a sort of purging the body through

partying.

In fact, this is where the name "Carnival" comes from: carnis is Latin for 'flesh'.

Party with the blessing of the church

Although it may seem surprising, the Catholic church actually tolerated this wild

behavior, regarding it as a comprise for the piety that was expected in the weeks prior to

Easter.

And its due to this tradition that Carnival today is mostly celebrated in the Catholic

regions of Germany: along the river Rhine in cities like Mainz, Cologne and Dsseldorf.

Nothing is as it was

Since its early beginnings Carnival and its equivalents of Fastnacht and Fasching was a

period when the world was turned upside down.

The normal order of things was reversed: Drunkenness and partying were suddenlyacceptable, the figure of the fool or clown was respected, and the nobility was openly

satirized.

The simple craftsmen and workers rose to the position of prince in their guilds and

paraded through the streets in hand-sewn robes showering bystanders with food and wine

instead of golden coins.


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And as in the Venetian masquerades, people on the streets hid their real identity behind

masks and costumes, some elegant others witty. For just a few days the topsy-turvy world

of Carnival was normality.

Making fun of the Prussians

Carnival was institutionalized in the early 19th Century, when the Prussians governed the

regions along the Rhine.

During Carnival, people in the region dressed up in the uniforms of Prussian soldiers as a

form of protest and satire of the Prussian rulers.

This tradition has been passed down to the contemporary Carnival clubs, many of which

have their own "regiment" and military banners complete with marching bands and

powdered wigs.WWW LINKS

Money Troubles in Carnival Land

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