Unique European Traditions
There are quite a few nuances over here that often lead me to give the penguin salute and say, "it is what it is." That being said...
The Dutch have a unique Christmas tradition known as Zwarte Piet; translated Black Pete. Google it, and decide for yourself if you think it's racist or not. Please, L. Andre chime in with your Top 5 reasons why this tradition is not inappropriate in 2012.
Anyway, the Germans have Fasching and Rosen Montag which is a Mardi Gras / Halloween mix but not really. I went to the Rosen Montag parade in Rottweil, and it was both weird and fascinating. And some may say drinking warm wine is strange, but after 5 cups, who cares?
Feel free to add fidelity on the topic unless you want to talk about the Hard Rock Café.
Ralph
Heidelberg 12/5/12
Send Private Message
I'm not sure if it falls under the term "tradition" but the Street Parade in Zurich was certainly a unique experience.
Closer to your neck of the woods Ralph, when I lived in Heidelberg, we looked forward to the Herbstfest every September more than anything else. The Castle lightings, not so much.
There is no universe in which Zwarte Piet is not a racist tradition. It'll be years before public opinion in the Netherlands really wakes up to this, unfortunately.
Fasching/Fasnet/Carnival is basically the German equivalent of Mardi Gras as it occurs for the same reasons (the old Catholic pre-Lenten celebrations combined with pre-existing regional pagan traditions) and a lot of fun. I ended up at the celebration in Weil Der Stadt by accident (turns out it's really famous for it's Fasnet celebration) and it was a lot of fun. I don't find Gluehwein particuarly exotic as it's part of my family's American tradition to make mulled wine around the holidays but I do appreciate it's ubituitiousness in Germany from December - February.
I don't know if it's "unique" but I just love the sheer volume of festivals in Germany. Seems like the only month without a major traditional festival is January. But between Fasching, then the spring festivals, the spring beer festivals, the summer festivals, the fall beer festivals, the harvest and wine fall festivals, then of course, the Christmas markets, there's almost always SOMETHING going on nearby. You would think at somepoint I'd get tired of hanging around outside with wurst and bier/gluhwein, but somehow I don't.
For something really different, watch the city Fasching celebrations that they televise every year, usually Eins, ZDF, or one of the ARD regional affiliates. It's like a combination of dinner theater, circus, parade and Oktoberfest/Mardi Gras hybrid.
One thing I learned from watching the televised Fasching celebrations (and from attending the regional Hessentag festival last year): whereas marching bands in the US are usually modeled after military uniforms and traditions from the 19th century, German marching bands take their inspiration from 18th century. So, instead of the familiar fur caps, shakos, epaulettes and striped pants, you see tricorn hats, waistcoats and breeches.
Wait, there are racists in Europe? Next you'll be saying there are rude people too!
In northern Italy during the mid-Lent, the people make a big fire of a puppet, representing an ugly old woman, similar to befana, in the collective imagination she is a witch, in fact, this event was inspired by ancient propitiatory Celtic cults spread all over the italian alpine arc, related to the expulsion of winter and the redemption of the negativity of the year.
In other parts of Northern Italy, as Veneto, this custom is applied to the Befana and it is celebrated on the 5th, 6th January, probably of pre-Christian origin which meant the end of the old year with the destruction of the past and the beginning of the new year by means of this cathartic fire.
I fear, however, that the Inquisition with its mania to burn the "witches" have left some bad legacy.
I get a kick out of the Panto in England, especially the expected audience responses ("Oh, yes I do!" - "Oh no, you don't!" "He's right behind you!", etc.)
I'm glad you have found it interesting, here, is no shortage of ancient traditions.
Since I don't go to Germany in the late winter/spring, I have not been to Fasching or Karneval...not yet anyway. But one traditional event I've gone to see a couple of times is a Schützenfest in Westfalen, very interesting, entertaining, if you don't mind the drunks . Still, what I saw was everyone was civil.
In 2001 I accidentally came upon a Volksfest in Nürnberg on a Sat. with a band, a Blaskapelle, whose repartoire included Schlager, waltzs, March music, tango, etc...very interesting to watch as well listening to the music, some of which I was familiar with.
In Sweden, it is a tradition to watch "Kalle Anka" on TV on Christmas Eve. In the U.S., we know "Kalle Anka" as Donald Duck.
Here is an article about it:
Swedens Bizarre Tradition of watching Donald Duck cartoons on Christmas Eve
Re Donald Duck in Sweden - I understand that in Germany the "Dinner for One" sketch gets broadcast every New Year's Eve and has been for decades. I'd be interested if anyone in Germany can corroborate this - or is it an urban myth?
For embarrassing (rather than unique) traditions, Morris Dancing takes some beating. And (as per Zwarte Piet), if you want your folk dancing with a hint of racism, some morris dancers still "black up" (its a reference to miners they say).
"Beating the Bounds" is still observed by many villages here, though I don't think it exists elsewhere in Europe (but an equivalent ceremony apparently did go across to New Hampshire and supposedly still exists in a few places there)
Forgive me, but I do not understand this definition of "racist", for traditions that have their origin in the Middle Ages or even earlier, applying contemporary ethical parameters to this period is impossible, at that time the society and the culture were racist, sexist, classist, homophobic, religious fanatics. The Anglo-Saxon world seems a little obsessed with this politically correct.
Yes, you can watch "Dinner for One" multiple times on NYE in Germany.
Easter Trees. Many people make Easter trees and they are getting more and more popular each year. One buys spring branches, either forsythia, curly willow, cherry, etc. and you decorate them with painted eggs or other spring like decorations. The spring or Easter markets have really taken off the past few years and you can get some gorgeous works of art. My favorite is held in the Abbey in Seligenstadt, where eggs can cost up to 300 euro.
Fasching has nothing to do with Halloween, it is all about getting ready for Lent. Partying a lot, funny costumes, eating and drinking to excess, then 40 days of repentance.
"I understand that in Germany the "Dinner for One" sketch gets broadcast every New Year's Eve and has been for decades. I'd be interested if anyone in Germany can corroborate this - or is it an urban myth?" Yes, I noticed it last year and was puzzeled why all the regional ARD affiliates seem to broadcast it. Personally, I would probably prefer "Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul".
Likewise, the Vienna SO New Year's concert is known world-wide. Always ends with Strauss Sr.'s "Radetzky March".
When we lived in Germany our neighbors were great fans of "Dinner for One." It was a huge occasion they looked forward to during the season. They'd invite all their friends in to have a big party and watch it. We sat there with polite but puzzled smiles on our faces while they laughed and whooped it up. That's just one of those things we figured we'd never quite understand about German people.
Guy Fawkes (Bonfire) Night in England on November 5. It is to celebrate the foiling of a Catholic plot to blow up Parliament by burning an image of Guy Fawkes, the "Guy". The small town of Lewes in East Sussex has the biggest and most controversial celebrations. Traditionally one of the Guys is dressed up as the Pope as well as more contemporary "hate" figures eg Osama Bin Ladin one year or local politicians.
These days the rest of us use it as an excuse to let off lots of fireworks, although the trend is toward public displays rather than the private back garden parties of my childhood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewes_Bonfire
Claudio, just because something is old doesn't mean it's not messed up, particularly in a contemporary sense.
People who are opposed to the Zwarte Piet tradition have suggested replacing the out and out blackface with smudges of ashes on the face, reflecting the more modern lie about that tradition that some parents tell their kids, that the faces of the Piets are black because they came down the chimney. Seems like a totally fine compromise to keep the tradition while getting rid of the horrific implications of a full on parody of people of African descent.
Maybe Zwarte Piet is a Moorish servant and maybe he's a black servant. Why isn't he a white servant? And he doesn't date to the Middle Ages...he dates to 150 years ago at the same time the US was enslaving black people. What about more modern European racist traditions, like cursing and yelling racist slurs at your own team's black soccer players? This is a pan-European tradition, baby! I find most of these European traditions totally bizarre and arse backwards – full of murder, devils, chopping off children's toes, snatching them in the night, etc. And that's supposed to be good, clean, wholesome family fun? Whatever. I'll take the Coca-Cola Santa Claus over any freaky European holiday tradition. On the other hand, La Tomatina in Spain sounds like alot of fun!
Do not make excessive comparisons, who now insults the black football players is a racist, European society has a level of cultural awareness that it can not in any way justify this attitude. Zwarte Piet has more than 150 years, in any case, even in 1850 it was in the middle of the colonial era and Europeans behaved like masters in Africa and Asia, while in the USA there was still slavery. With this modern view, the Colosseum was a place of mortal combat among men, absolutely immoral, the Romans were a nation of fierce conquerors, bloody imperialists, the tradition that I mentioned above, is based on the burning of women considered witches, extreme misogyny. At this rate we should review the entire history of Europe. Why we have to make a compromise about our ancient traditions? I would not ask to an African or an Asian to do this it.
"European society has a level of cultural awareness that it can not in any way justify this attitude"
If you were talking about Canadian society, I would agree with you. But European society has a serious and growing racist problem – anti-Muslim, anti-Jewish, anti-black, anti-immigrant, etc. All one needs to do is read a daily newspaper. It's not an excessive comparison...it's spot on accurate.
European society has a level of awareness about what is racist, anti-Semitic or discrimination any kind, then some people decide to adopt attitudes that conflict with these values of our civilization, these are still individual choices or of small groups to which I do not want to be united. We have been living on our skin what brings the degenerate concept of racial superiority and we learned from our mistakes. That's why the Western Europe lives seventy years in peace and democracy.