Wort des Tages: Fasching!

Because Christianity is so widespread, this time of year (the season leading up to Lent and Easter) is festive no matter where you are.  Venice has Carnival.  New Orleans has Mardi Gras.  The list goes on.  This week, in almost every country of the world there will be parades, costumes, parties, food, and general merrymaking!

In Austria, the celebration is known as Fasching.  On Fasching-Saturday and Fat Tuesday there are big parties in every town and village across Austria.  On Saturday Tina and I pulled four boxes of Fasching gear from years past out of the attic and dug through the wigs and sequins, umbrella hats and fake noses, finally putting together these very convincing Tina Turner and Venetian dancer outfits!

Who are those lovely ladies?

It's really me... but don't tell ;)

The point is to be totally disguised, so you can mingle and dance with whomever you want without anyone recognizing you.  Fasching is the time for the ladies to ask the men to dance ;) You scan the crowd, trying to figure out who the three robots in the corner are? They're only talking in beeps.  And the Smurfs who are getting blue paint on everyone.  And who's that tall lady with the big hands over by the bar?  Oh, nope wait... that's a guy.  Then, at exactly midnight the truth is revealed when everyone takes off their masks in the Demaskirung.  Then its schnapps and musi and dancing until four in the morning!

Happy Faschingswoche!