A Conversation for Carnival in Germany
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Chairman Mei Started conversation May 20, 2001
It is perhaps interesting to note that "Fasching" is undertaken with the same amount of fanatically enthusiastic correctness of the Teutonic way. "YOU Vill have fun" could easily be the motto.
Fasching is also used as a means of convincing themselves that they DO have a sense of humour, even if it does consist mainly of watching drunks falling over (see "Dinner for One"). Unfortunately the effect is somewhat spoiled by the Oompah band producing a "tada, tada, tada" fanfare to indicate the places during a monologue where it would be appropriate to burst out spontaneously laughing. Perhaps more sadly is the fact that it is often necessary to be told as otherwise some of the best germanic comedy could go unoticed due to the fact that it isn't actually at all funny.
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You can call me TC Posted May 30, 2001
Certainly the majority of people I know are anti-Fasching, but it is, nonetheless, a subject which has justification on being written about in the guide on two counts
1. Very few people outside Germany are aware of the magnitude of this thing, or in fact, that it exists at all
2. It is a many-facetted part of life in Germany - and there are one helluva lot of German researchers on the guide. Even the non-Carnivalists - which all GMC researchers here claim to be - are affected in some way by Carnival/Fasching. Usually it means you get a day off work, or an afternoon, and occasionally it means you get dragged along to a friend's daughters Tanzmariechen performance or, if you sing, you have to perform silly songs at one or two functions.
The entry, to give it credit, does point out in no uncertain terms that there are people in Germany who don't want to be jovial on command, which is how they see Fasching/Carnival, now that there is no religious need for it as preparation for the lean days of Lent.
Tada, tada, tada!
Chairman Mei Posted May 31, 2001
... and the majority of those are "Ausländer" such as meiself 
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You can call me TC Posted Jun 1, 2001
That's a good point. Will check that out when I revise the GMC.
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