Weiberfastnacht or as it is otherwise popularly known as: Fat Thursday comes about each year on the last Thursday before Lent. It used to be associated exclusively with the traditional practices of Catholic Christians but now this Carnival celebration incorporates almost everyone and anyone who wishes to participate. It is a day especially dedicated to eating and rather jocularly eating everywhere and anywhere. People feast in the grandest of fashions and the servings are enormously fascinating. Moreover, the festivities also feature parades where women exclusively organise and participate in their own right. This is symbolic of a protest which had occurred during the Middle Ages and the current feminist movements. All in all it is a time of the year when the Germans party like crazy. The festivities are also broadcasted in most regions of Germany.
History of the festivity across regions
It carries such a name because the time of Lent is considered to be of catering towards fasting and sacrificing instincts. Moreover, the only next opportunity to feast in such a manner only occurs during Easter. So the Germans hog on to their favourite delicacies and celebrate in an uber carefree manner.
Furthermore, in Germany, especially in the Rhineland, the time of Weiberfastnacht has been dedicated to be an official holiday for children. The work ends at around noon time in most of the workplaces as celebrations quite precisely start as the clock strikes 11:11 am. Unlike the tradition of Rosenmontag, where people indulge in parades, during Weiberfastnacht you can see individuals dressed in elaborate costumes and celebrations go on at a variety of location including pubs and streets. In the Bonn district of Beuel since 1824 a special carnival for women, which is known as Beueler Weiberfastnacht or the women’s carnival in Beuel is hosted. Local women get together and form their own carnival committee and by themselves arrange for the festivities. Furthermore, during the celebration a symbolic taking over of the town hall occurs, where the women congregate and storm towards the town hall and capture it. This is broadcasted throughout the regions of North Rhine Westphalia. Women, also during this carnival celebration break off all of their ties with men. As a matter of symbolic gesture, the men wear their tie stumps and receive a little kiss or Bützchen just for the matter of compensation.
Such traditions are in-fact not limited to Germanic lands alone. For instance, in Greece, they celebrate a similar festival which goes by the name of Tsiknopempti or Thursday of the Smoke of Grilled Meat. The Greeks celebrate this about eleven days before the beginning of the fasting period of Lent on a day which is known as Clean Monday. It carries the word clean because, as a matter of tradition, one week prior to Lent is regarded and maintained to be meat free. Moreover, the Wednesday and Friday of the week are anyway days of fasting for the practitioners of Greek-Orthodoxy; therefore, Tsiknopempti is in reality the last opportunity for them to consume meat and meat products. The celebrations largely take place on the streets where you can also find stalls and other proper stores which serve massive quantities of meat and lavish food servings.
Furthermore, in Italy also for example Fat Thursday is celebrated, but here the regional name for this festival is: Giovedì Grasso. Its history during the early parts of twentieth century is quite interesting. Back then, it was marked by masquerades, a battle of flowers on the Plaza, illuminations, and the opening of the lottery.
In Poland as well, Fat Thursday is locally celebrated and is known as: Tłusty Czwartek. Around this time people can be seen purchasing loads of delicious pastries from bakeries along with the paczki or the traditional deep-fried doughnuts. These doughnuts are a national favourite and they come filled with rose jam, carry glazed sugar, and occasionally carry orange peel on the top. They are often decorated with faworki which are thin ribbons made out of doughs. They have to be fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Also, in the Catalan speaking regions of Spain the festival goes by the name of jueves larder. Here, this day is marked by a holiday for children. Moreover, in the Albacete region of Spain, the same festival is celebrated by a traditional square shaped pastry which is known as Bizcocho along with a round shaped pastry called Mona. Also, in the Spanish region of Aragon, a special sausage meal is prepared from Graus and on the other hand in Catalonia a specialised form of sweet called Bynyols is consumed during the time of the celebration.
Syrian Catholics are also known to celebrate the same festival but in their own style and fervour. They call it the drunkards Thursday and prepare a special meal called dolmas.
The Carnival
In the matter of Christian tradition, this festivity takes its roots sometime during the later Middle Ages. But of-course its current incarnation has undergone definite changes in the due course of time. The Weiberfastnacht festival has almost spread to the entirety of Germany. Today, among the many carnival strongholds parades are exclusively organised and the celebration occurs mostly on the streets. Students are given a day off and allowed to immerse and revitalise themselves in their own cultures and traditions.
Talking about the Cologne region particularly, here, celebrations have been going on for almost 2000 years. Since almost the same time as the city has existed. Initially it was specifically celebrated by men and the women would remain confined to the household spaces indulging in their daily household chores. As the story goes, this tradition changed because a group of washerwomen in a town called Beuel, in a fit of rage and anger they discharged themselves out on the streets and eventually took over the town hall. Todays, tie cutting is more or less symbolic of the earlier disobedience.
Weiberfastnacht gained more popularity in the post war period. It still was largely male dominated and women indulged in rather smaller congregations. During the contemporary times the festival has witnessed a certain kind of feminization. This is a result of a greater amount of participation from women themselves. The scenario of the festival has often been described as outrageous and grotesque, you might also get to hear comments pertaining to unwomanly behaviour, but all of this is symbolic of a resistance to the rising status of women’s economic prowess in the society. You will also find statues of women being elevated during the parades of various sorts. It is rather interesting to see how common-social spaces have changed over time in terms of simple acceptability and tolerance during times of festivities. The festival still remains the pride of Germany and people irrespective of their creed enjoy and celebrate together.