pynchon-l-digest V2 #1749

[kevin at limits.org]

On Wed, 4 Apr 2001, pynchon-l-digest wrote:
> Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 23:42:19 -0500
> From: "David Morris" <fqmorris at hotmail.com>
> Subject: VV(13) - Fasching
> 
> During Carnival season, the world seems to be partying. But there's only one 
> place that celebrates Carnival a full two months before Fat Tuesday. You 
> might not expect it, but Germans are known for their massive, elaborate 
> Carnival celebrations, known as the "Fifth Season" or "Season of Fools." And 
> Munich is especially famous for going all out in its pre-Lent festivities.  
> In Bavaria, they call it Fasching, and the partying starts on January 7th, 
> the day after the Catholic holiday of Epiphany. You have until February 27th 
> to get a load of the Faschingstreiben (festivities) including costume 
> parties, parades and dancing in the streets.
 
In some areas, Vienna included, the Fasching ball/party season starts at
precisely 11:11 am on November 11, and is interrupted (or, you might say,
superceded) by the Advent/Christmas season, only to resume after the
Epiphany.  One big, long, party, that's what Austria is.  I'm not sure of
the history of the 11/11 date, that is, whether it dates to 1918 or
before.


Kevin Troy