On Sunday, March 19, it was that time again: the German School campus in Newport Beach celebrated its annual carnival at the Banquet Hall in Old World in Huntington Beach! A pirate, a ladybug, the Evil Queen, and Hermione Granger, also known as Ursula Schoeneich, Alexandra Wuerfler, Sarah Schmelzle, and Freya Spickenbaum, really went all out to give the kids an authentic German carnival celebration. After all, the so-called “fifth season” is very important in Germany, especially in the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. The German School campus places great emphasis on teaching students about German culture beyond the classroom.

The beer garden in Huntington Beach is the perfect setting for this every time, as there is plenty of space to have fun, sing, and dance. With the help of volunteers from La Quinta High School in Westminster, the whole hall was decked out for the holidays. Carnival masks, streamers, and, of course, numerous balloons were distributed and decorated. A special program was offered to the children, which included, among other things, a pretzel-eating contest and a chocolate-coated marshmallow eating contest. As a reward, candies were distributed. This is a typical carnival tradition since candy is thrown from wagons during the parade and is an important part of the party.

In addition, many games were played with the children, such as tying a balloon around their feet and trying to burst into other balloons. In between, the polonaise with all the children, teachers, volunteers, and parents was danced through the whole hall. Another highlight was the huge throwing cloth filled with many red balloons, which was emptied on the dance floor to the song “99 Luftballons” by Nena. The children danced and played with the balloons under the throw cloth for a long time afterward and had an incredible amount of fun.

Throughout the day, the children danced to the “Duck Dance,” “Macarena,” and “Rucki Zucki.” The typical carnival song of the band Höhner, “Viva Colonia,” could not be missed. A big thank you goes especially to the “Hofstaat” of the Phoenix Club and the children’s dance group, as well as the “Funkenmariechen,” who transported the “real German” carnival to Huntington Beach. The kids really liked the shows, and they were especially excited about the colorful costumes. Speaking of costumes, the children themselves as well as some parents came in a variety of costumes, bringing to life a great tradition of Carnival.

Here’s to many more German school campus carnivals!

Alaaf and Helau!