So, last week I returned from the U.S. where all of the stores were starting their annual Valentine's Day marketing campaign... All of the aisles were beginning to fill up with pink, red, roses, candy, stuffed animals, and lots and lots of hearts... Well, I returned to Germany with those images fresh in my mind... As I took my first stroll downtown, I expected the window displays to be similar to those in the U.S., only a little less obnoxious... What I ended up seeing caught me a little off guard!
Instead of seeing all of the hearts and cupids and flowers, I was seeing Halloween costumes... Hmmmmm???? Let's just say, that I ended up doing a double take as I walked by... And then I stopped in my tracks so that I could do a quick calculation in my head to verify that it wasn't already October... And, after a quick check of the date in my phone, I verified that it was still the month of January... So, what's with all of the Halloween costumes then??
And then it dawned on me... Fasching (also called Fastnacht and Fasnet... the different names depend on the different parts of Germany you're in...)! Fasching is the German's version of Carnival (i.e. the U.S. version of Mardi Gras) and it is celebrated throughout the month of February. And, during Fasching, everyone apparently dresses up (they treat Fasching the way the U.S. treats Halloween for dressing up)... Hence, the costumes which are out and on display in every store.
So, I guess when all is said and done, it is possible to celebrate Valentine's Day and Halloween all within a few weeks of each other! :)
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