Before Easter, Carnival, Mardi Gras, and Fasching all have their traditions in ancient Spring festivals. Fasching originated in several German-speaking regions of Europe, such as Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria, and the Rheinland, Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz over 1000 years ago.
All three holidays originated as a festival to chase off evil spirits of cold and winter and let the crops survive and thrive in the Spring. All three festivals are known for their bright, colorful costumes and loud music.
The German School campus, founded in 2015 in Southern California, keeps the tradition in the community alive. Every year on Fasching Sunday, a colorful event of Fasching takes place in Old World, Huntington Beach.
Principal Ursula Schoeneich and teachers put a program together and decorated the Banquet hall with garlands, masks, and balloons.
Teacher Frau Roche announced Carnival and German School campus.
In the first hour, the German band “Bluebird” played the first carnival songs and put the visitors in a good mood. After that, Mrs. Wuerfler took over the function as DJ.
Teachers kept kids on their feet with music for three hours, dances like the “Chicken Dance, the Polonaise, Fliegerlied,” and musical chair games. Culinary Art Teacher Marie Kuhn brought freshly baked pretzels and chocolate marshmallows for the eating contest. Kids could earn small gift items, colorful beet necklaces, and German candies like the Mambas and Gummibaerchen.
The restaurant of Old World has traditional food served like the sweets “Berliner, Krapfen,” to a good cup of coffee, or the “Currywurst and Bockwurst,” for the enormous appetite.
A visit from the Anaheim KG ( Karneval Gesellschaft) in historical costumes surprised the children as they marched in with “Alaaf and Helau,” throwing candies and having a dance of the “Mariechen.”
Time flew by, and at 6:00p pm, all guests finally pulled the streamers out of the packets for a colorful end.