The Carnival Parade in Kusterdingen
a report written by Slu Ncube

A celebration, a festival, enjoyment, happiness, laughter and a German community united. These are all the words that pop into my head when I have to describe the Carnival Parade in the little town of Kusterdingen. Even the icey cold weather did not stop us from having fun, dancing to keep warm but most of all interacting with German cultures and festivals.

At first the few parades that took place were a little bit scary, even though we knew that there was a human, just like us behind that mask, it did rattle a few cages. After a while we all had so much fun, singing the parade songs and interacting with the community.

This was a very fun filled experience, this is where I saw it as also a chance for adults to become children again and just have a day to play and have fun and enjoyment, because a lot of people are so absorbed by the work and family lives that they forget the sense and meaning of the word FUN.

I totally have respect for the Germans and the way they respect and value their traditions. The reason I say this is because, they were committed and one could see that they had put in their all into this Carnival Parade. They had very well rehearsed musical bands, where we could see that they have practiced, and put in a lot of dedication and love.

At the end of the day we all had a fun time, lots of sweets and other treats and gained a lot of experience. Experience one can never obtain from a book or from any teacher, I’m so positive that this Carnival Parade will be in our minds forever.

Slu Ncube