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Baden-Wuerttemberg
Big parades and lots of parties: Fools celebrate Shrove Monday

02/20/2023 02:49 am

It should be wet and happy in many cities on Shrove Monday. Street parades and parties are likely to attract thousands.

Rottweil/Schramberg (dpa/lsw) – Dress up, sway, be foolish: True to this motto, thousands of fools want to really step on the gas again on Shrove Monday in the southwest. Colorful parades and parties are planned in many cities. Probably the most traditional fool’s jump is probably the one in Rottweil.

In Baden-Württemberg’s oldest town, around 4,000 Hästräger have arranged to meet in the morning (8:00 a.m.). The fools there are famous for the wild jumps they perform with their poles. The city expects around 15,000 spectators, a spokesman said. According to the German Weather Service, it shouldn’t rain.

Fools who still like it wet come together at midday (1.00 p.m.) in Schramberg (Rottweil district): On the “Da-Bach-na-Fahrt” (Da-Bach-na-Fahrt) they drive down the Schiltach in colorfully decorated wooden tubs. Dozens of teams have to overcome specially built wooden slides in the river and stay as dry as possible, otherwise they face disgrace and the so-called Soaking Wet Order. The tradition attracts thousands of visitors to the Black Forest town every year.

But not only in the deep south do the fools spread on Shrove Monday, they don’t stop at the state capital either. In Stuttgart, Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) welcomes carnival clubs in the town hall at 11.11 sharp.

Fastnacht in the southwest is predominantly traditional. The jesters usually embody figures from the village and town history as well as mythical creatures and animals. They often wear elaborately carved masks with their hats. In some places, however, you can also feel the influence of the Rhenish carnival – with figures such as princes and princesses or dance guards.

The whole spectacle ends on Ash Wednesday and the Häs – as the fool’s costume is also called – disappears into the closet until next year.