Carnival, Mardi Gras, Fastnacht: What's the difference?

"Alaaf" and "Helau" – the revelers are out in force. Or are they just jesters? In Germany, many terms circulate around Carnival, Fasching, and Fastnacht. What do you say where, and what's the deal with this so-called fifth season anyway? Questions upon questions, and we have the answers.

Originally, Epiphany on January 6th was considered the beginning of the carnival season. In many regions of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival, this is still the case today.

Since the 19th century, however, the so-called carnival season has started in large parts of Germany on November 11th at 11:11 a.m. – St. Martin's Day . This officially marks the beginning of the "fifth season".

The background: Christianity also observed a 40-day period of fasting before Christmas, similar to the period before Easter. Carnival symbolically marks the exuberant period before the start of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

The peak of the carnival season, however, is marked across regions by the so-called Carnival, Fastnacht, or Fasching week. This traditionally begins with Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival Day) and ends on Ash Wednesday. In between, Rose Monday marks the climax of each carnival season.

An overview of the dates for Fastnacht, Fasching and Karneval:

• February 27th: Women's Carnival , also called Old Women's Day, Women's Carnival or Shrove Thursday depending on the region
• February 28: Carnival Friday , also called Sooty Friday
• March 1st: Carnival Saturday , also called Fatty Saturday
• March 2nd: Carnival Sunday , also called Rose Sunday, Tulip Sunday, Shrove Sunday or Mardi Gras Sunday
• March 3rd: Rose Monday
• March 4th: Carnival Tuesday , also called Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or Violet Tuesday
• March 5: Ash Wednesday

Neither Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival Day) nor Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) nor Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) are public holidays in Germany.

In many carnival regions, however, it is common for employers to give their employees time off on certain days or allow shorter working hours. Some schools also remain closed during the peak season.

The different terms are mainly due to regional variations:

• Carnival : especially in the Rhineland and in Northern Germany
• Carnival : in Bavaria, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Austria
• Carnival / Fasnet : in the southwest, especially in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland

Carnival is also celebrated in parts of Upper Bavaria, Western Austria, South Tyrol, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – often with their own dialect forms such as Fasnet , Fasnacht or Fassenacht .

Besides the terms for the festival itself, the terms for the participants also differ:

• In the Rhineland, revelers celebrate.
• In other regions, fools are out and about.
• The term "Narrenzeit" has become established nationwide as a synonym for the carnival season.

The cries of the fools also vary:

• “Alaaf!” – typically Cologne, in Cologne, Bonn, Aachen and the surrounding area (“Cologne above all”).
• “Helau!” – in Düsseldorf, Mainz, Koblenz and large parts of Hesse.
• “Narri-Narro!” – in the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival.
• “Alleh hopp!” – in Saarland (from the French Allez hop!).
• Also regional: “Ahoi”, “Aloha”, “Alä”, “Hex!”, “Meck!” or “Wau-Wau!”

The nautical greeting "Ahoi" is not only common on the coast, but also in Baden and the Palatinate.

“Aloha!” in turn has become particularly established in the queer carnival scene.

All versions have in common a reference to the Christian season of Lent.

The term carnival is probably derived from the medieval Latin words carne (“meat”) and levare (“take away”) – thus “farewell to meat”.

Carnival and Shrove Tuesday also have etymological roots in fasting .

Known as the "fifth season," Carnival symbolically represents the time of celebration and revelry before the fasting begins.

But the roots go back even further: In ancient times, people celebrated festivals like the Roman Saturnalia, in which social roles were reversed and evil spirits were driven away – a principle that can be found in today's masked revelry and parades.

This originally dark character is still evident today, especially in the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival.

During peak season, millions of people are out and about in the carnival strongholds every day.

The most famous parades take place in:

• Cologne – up to 1 million visitors at the Rose Monday parade
• Mainz and Düsseldorf – major street carnival highlights
• Aachen , Rottweil , Nuremberg , Köthen , Bremen , Munich and Berlin – each with thousands of participants and visitors daily

Carnival is also celebrated internationally – for example in Venice , Basel , Nice or Rio de Janeiro .