Fasching III: Carnival worldwide, German strongholds and carnival culture criticism [14.02.23]
Everybody loves carnival, and festivities are happening all over the world. However, voices have been raised criticizing underlying racism and sexism, the creation of vast amounts of waste and the behavior of the carnival-goers. Let's take a look, shall we?
Famous carnival parades
Some of the biggest and most well-known carnival parades in Germany are held in Mainz, Cologne, and Düsseldorf. Each city has its own own character and customs, but they all share a dedication to fostering a festive environment and offering a venue for people to unite and enjoy.
The carnival procession in Mainz is one of the biggest in the nation and draws tens of thousands of spectators from all across Germany and abroad. The parade is a time for the community to come together and celebrate with laughter, music, and dance, and it is distinguished by a sizable number of floats, costumes, and musical acts.
The carnival parade in Cologne, which is one of the highlights of the city's well-known "Carnival of Cultures," is distinguished by its vibrant costumes, masks, and floats. The mood at the parade is also well-known for being upbeat, with people singing and dancing to the music and generally having a good time.
The carnival parade in Düsseldorf is a more formal event, and it is characterized by a sizable contingent of marching bands, brass bands, and other musical ensembles. The procession is one of the biggest in the city and draws a diverse crowd of participants, including locals and families as well as tourists from around the globe. Another main draw are the floats, costumes, and masks.
Carnivals in other countries
Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Venice carnivals are renowned throughout the world for their distinctive cultural traditions, lively atmospheres, and magnificent celebrations. Each of these carnivals has unique characteristics that make it a must-attend event for both tourists and residents.
One of the biggest and most well-known carnivals in the world, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil is renowned for its stunning parades, vivacious samba music, and ornately adorned floats. This carnival is celebrated every year in the weeks preceding Ash Wednesday. The "Samba Parade," which comprises hundreds of dancers dancing to the beat of the samba music, is one of the highlights of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.
Every year, the city of New Orleans (USA) hosts the well-known Mardi Gras, which is noted for its vibrant parades, masked balls, and exciting street parties. The festival, which has African American and French origins, is well known by its "throws" that are thrown from the floats to the audience during the New Orleans Mardi Gras, which include beads, cash, and toys.
One of the oldest and most well-known carnivals in the world, the Venice Carnival in Italy is renowned for its spectacular costumes, masks, and extravagant festivities. The carnival is an annual event that brings locals and visitors together to celebrate with music, dance, and food in the weeks before Lent. The "Grand Masquerade Ball," which takes place in one of the city's grand palaces and involves elaborately dressed attendees in masked costumes, is one of the highlights of the Venice Carnival.
Criticism
Carnivals and festivals have drawn criticism for a number of issues, such as waste, misogyny, racism, discrimination and cultural appropriation.
The amount of garbage produced by carnivals and festivals can be substantial, with a lot of litter, food waste, and abandoned costumes adding to the events' negative environmental effects. There still needs to be done more to address the environmental impact of these events, even if some festivals have introduced waste-reduction strategies like composting and recycling programs.
Cultural appropriation is the practice of utilizing aspects of one culture without having a sufficient understanding of or respect for that culture. People may dress up in costumes that appropriate another group's cultural attire during various carnivals and festivals such as Native Americans and other indigenous peoples, or displaying racist caricatures, frequently for comedic or satirical effect. This kind of conduct has drawn criticism for being mocking of other people's appearance, customs and beliefs and should be avoided.
Carnival parades, but especially (non-traditional) costumes, have been increasingly criticized in recent years for their hypersexualization, (underlying) sexism and objectification of female-read persons. These costumes in particular are often very short and skimpy, and the "sexy" version of the male costume with little room for extravagance or creative spirit. Recently, we can observe that some people are again making their own costumes.
Another problem frequently connected to carnivals and festivals is excessive alcohol consumption, since many people use these occasions as an excuse to consume large amounts of alcohol. Various issues, such as public intoxication, alcohol-related incidents and accidents, and violent behavior, might result from this.
Unfortunately, it must also be said at this point that particularly female-perceived people and trans people are affected. We want to stress that neither partying, showing naked skin, nor alcohol or drug consumption justifies violent behavior and sexual harassment such as insinuations, groping, and other unsolicited actions Even a kiss is not consent to further actions. If you are engaging with another person and notice that they are uncomfortable or too drunk to give consent, please contact their friends (usually, no one visits alone) and leave them in their care. If you get into such a situation at the carnival, please seek help from other visitors and consider police action if necessary. If you notice that someone else is in such a situation, offer your help. If you, your friends or even a stranger is highly intoxicated or even appears to be drugged/roofied, seek medical attention. Often, paramedics are nearby.
As a result, even while they can be a thrilling and entertaining way to celebrate, carnivals and festivals are not without their detractors. It is critical to be aware of these problems and work toward future events that are more inclusive, secure, and sustainable.
Costumes and where to find them
There are a few choices to think about if you want to attend a carnival or celebration and want to make sure your costume is appropriate and respectful. Avoid caricatured costumes, or costumes that distort perceptions of or defame certain groups of people. You will eventually encounter these. But remember: other people’s cultures are no costumes. :)
Here are some suggestions and resources for costumes and makeup:
- Department stores: A lot of department stores sell a variety of costumes, including historical costumes, pirate or princess costumes, animal costumes, and costumes with generic themes. These costumes are frequently mass-produced and can be less expensive than those that are made to order or are rented.
- Costume rental: If you need a costume for a one-time event, costume rental stores are a fantastic choice. The cost of renting costumes is much lower than the price of purchasing one, and the selection is frequently wide. Just be sure to provide the outfit back on schedule and undamaged.
- Repurposing own clothing: Use your imagination with the garments you already own. Combining various components, adding accessories, or using makeup to achieve a certain look are all ways to design a costume. This may be more cost-effective and less wasteful than other options.
- Drugstores: You can frequently find a variety of carnival-themed makeup and accessories for sale at drugstores like DM, Müller, and Rossmann. To help complete your costume, you can get cosmetics in a variety of colors as well as wigs, masks, and other accessories.
What matters most is having fun at these celebrations while remaining polite and respectful toward other people and their cultures.
Enjoy! :)
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