CARNIVAL PARADE Rangendingen Fasnacht 

by Aiden Fleetwood

On the 20th of January the Tübingen-South Africa Program took us to a small town outside Tübingen called Rangendingen. It’s here where they have celebrated 15 years of hosting the Fasnacht festival. The festival is a part of the very old tradition where by many towns in Germany will have groups of performers parade through the town. This parade is not like most, it involves people dressing up as Wolves, Witches, Lions, Jesters and some in traditional German clothing. We were treated to seventy-nine different groups all showcasing their hard work to create masks, costumes and even really elaborate vans, decorated to match the group’s theme and attire.

Everybody is able to enjoy themselves at this event and become submerged in to the age old tradition. The group had a blast at every moment, whether it was with the performers playing with the crowd by stealing our beanies, rubbing charcoal and soot on our faces or even the furthest, being thrown into a huge basket of straw. The constant buzz and atmosphere left us all with a long lasting impression of the wonderful festival. The idea of such a tradition bringing so many people together, young and old, is somewhat foreign to Southern Africa (we do of course have these types of events, but not at such a scale) and so it was to us, like stepping into the middle of a much earlier and more traditional Germany.

The parade was a very memorable part of the Tübingen-South Africa 2019 program and each person took away a special and individual experience. We all enjoyed the day whether you are the kind who preferred watching from afar, spending time in the beer tent or standing right in front of the crowds where you could easily engage with the performers. Personally I was enlightened to see such a beautiful part of German culture and intend very much to return to Rangendingen in the future.