Okay…I assume it must be addressed. I am officially a slacker and I should be punished. Blogging is hard when you are on vacation! and then I just got lazy. 


Here I am though! Back in Germany and happy as ever! 

I have been hanging out quite a bit with some of the girls from my photography group. Today we decided to venture out into the village of Ramstein for the yearly Fasching parade.

 

For those of you who are not familiar (MYSELF included), Fasching is much like the American mardi gras or the French and Italian Karneval. It’s a pre-Lent celebration that started out as an occasion in which the catholic gave in to gluttony before Lent’s fasting period. 

With a little bit of research, I also learned the meaning of the masks people wear during the parades and throughout the day symbolize driving out winter and allf of it’s evil spirits. The masks are made to be “scary” but I think they are gorgeous!! 

Thanks to my dear friend Jess, I got to look like a Fasching DIVA today! She let me borrow a mask, beads, a wig, and boa that completely transformed me into a crazy lookin’ freak. It was awesome! 

Oh. Another cool thing I learned today…so throughout the parade, while the floats and bands walked by, they all chanted “HELLOOOOOO!” and I couldn’t stop giggling because I thought it was so weird. Germans don’t usually say “hello”. It’s most definitely an American thing and when they do say “hello” it’s more of a “hallo” and they are pretty much letting you know that they know that you are an American. So while I was doing a little more research I learned that they are not saying “hello” but instead, “Helau”. 


“Helau” is an expression to state the beginning of a carnival event! 

What an adventure I live. I love every minute of it!