Wheras it would be easy for me to tell you about already well-known German traditions, such as Oktoberfest or the seasonal Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets), I want to give you the insider perspective of a local tradition from the small German village of Tübingen. This is the city where I studied abroad two years ago. The religious tradition of Carnival (otherwise known as the period before Lent) is widely celebrated around the world, but across Europe specifically there are different variations depending on where you find yourself. Today, I'll take you to the region of Baden-Württemberg, and tell you about their tradition of Fasnet.
I first learned about the German Karneval tradition when I was a child in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia (about six hours north of Tübingen). My parents and their friends would wear Venetian-esque masks and we would all wait out on the street, bundled up standing outside in the bitter cold of February. Then, a parade would start, with large floats and people dressed up in all kinds of costumes. My friends and I would stand eagerly on the sidewalk with plastic grocery bags in hand, awaiting candy thrown from the parade floats. If we were lucky, we would leave with a huge bag full of German sweets.
