Karneval Berliner – Filled with Jam AFTER Frying

Why are Berliner / Pfannekuchen / Krapfen for Karneval? Karneval is a time of exuberance before the austerity of Lent… and one of those things we give up for Lent? Fried foods. SO…. eat all the Berliner you can BEFORE midnight on Karneval Dienstag! (Shrove Tuesday). Berliner are filled with tasty fillings like Rose Hip jam (Hagebutte) or Himbeer jam…

Super Easy German Fanta Cake or Fantakuchen Recipe

You probably won’t find Fanta Cake in a fancy German Cafe, but don’t scoff at this super easy and quick to make Fantakuchen Recipe. When my kids were young, I loved having what I called “afterschool cake” recipes. Snack cakes, that could be whipped up without too much fuss. And this one is done in well under an hour (perfect…

Tanzmariechen- Those Fabulous Karneval Dancers!

Ever wonder about those beautiful dancing girls in “military uniforms” at Karneval/Fasching celebrations? They march and move in perfect synchronicity and even tumble through the air without landing on their head. But did you know that these “Tanzmariechen” or “Funkenmariechen” are more than just a pretty face and fun dance moves? Their history reaches back almost 200 years to early…

Make this Fairly Easy Berliner Recipe for Karneval or Silvester

Fasching! Karneval! Even NEW YEAR! or maybe you just LOVE them, it’s a good time for Berliner! Honestly, I seldom make them, because fried foods are not really great for the waistline, and we live down the street from one of the world’s great Donut places (shout out to SloDoCo!). BUT it’s Karneval season, and Berliner, which aren’t really donuts,…

Muller Fasching Verein Nordamerika- Bringing Tyrol to Milwaukee

It turns out, the best time to see witches in Milwaukee is NOT at Halloween… it’s between January 6th and Ash Wednesday, during Fasching/Karneval Season. But the witches are just a supporting role in this performance that goes back 500 years in the Alps of Austria. The 70-member strong Muller Fasching Verein of Nordamerika carries on the Tyrolean tradition of…

The Maschkera… Behind the German Fasching Masks

Cover photo- photo by F Delventhal courtesy flickr creative commons The Rhineland may be known for it’s Karneval / Fasching parades and celebrations, but go further south, to Alpine area of Baden Württemberg, and you will find a different sort of Fasching Reveler. The Maschkera hide behind heavy carved wooden German Fasching Masks and parade through towns making noise to…

Celebrate Karneval/Fasching with a Karneval Party at Home!

Can’t get to one of the big Karneval Fasching Celebrations? No problem! Have a Karneval Party at home! All you need is a few things to turn a regular Saturday get-together into a fun party! Since this sort of party is more common in Germany, you may have to do a bit of explaining; tell your American friends it’s a…

What is Weiberfastnacht? Women Kick off Karneval!

Karneval or Fasching Season is loaded with parties, parades and fun events. But one special event sticks out… especially for Women! Weiberfastnacht. What is Weiberfastnacht? It’s the start of street Karneval Celebrations! The day when Karneval kicks into high gear! and… it’s a special day for Women to take over! In 2019 I arrived in Köln on Weiberfastnacht. The city…

History and Tradition of Karneval Orden

At Karneval time, you will see a lot of people wearing military-like medals around their neck called Orden. These colorful medals have a story that date back to the 1800s, and are LOADED with symbolism. These special awards were originally designed to mock the establishment. Today, they are considered a prestigious honor, which reflects status and importance. What is the…

What is a Lumpenball? The End of the Karneval Party!

While adding events to the Fasching Celebration pages and the German Girl in America Events Pages, I keep coming across something called a Lumpenball… but, What IS a Lumpenball?? A ball of lumps? (that can’t be right!… although one website had an article about painting a ball of rags…). A Lumpenball that final Karneval party. The clearing out celebrations. This…

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