Forget Valentine’s Day – It’s Rose Monday!

While we British have been spending time, effort and money on wooing our beloveds on Valentine's Day yesterday, in the German speaking world they’ve been pre-occupied with the beginning of Lent = die Fastenzeit. The Brits might remember to eat a pancake = der Pfannkuchen or two, but in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, it’s the end of Karneval (if you live in the North) or Fasching (if you live in the South) and it’s a time to party as hard as you can. Millions of people have taken part in Rose Monday parades = Rosenmontagsumzüge, either as participants = Teilnehmer or as spectators = Zuschauer, many (if not most) in fancy dress = verkleidet. There’s been music on the streets, tonnes of sweets have been thrown to children and scantily-clad revellers have danced = getanzt, drunk = getrunken and sung = gesungen as they enjoyed watching the carnival floats = Prunkwagen and floats satirising politicians = Persiflagewagen go by. It’s not how you think of Germans, Austrians and Swiss at all, is it?
Of course, many more Brits have heard of the incredibly glitzy Viennese Opera Ball = der Wiener Opernball which took place last Friday. This year, Katie Price was there, resplendent in a light blue shoulderless gown = in hellblauer schulterfreier Robe declaring that she was “a lady”.
So, tonight the celebrations come to an end. Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday = Fastnachtsdienstag or Faschingsdienstag and then Lent begins on Ash Wednesday = Aschermittwoch and everyone calms down a bit until Easter = Ostern!