I'd like to know what Carnival traditions you still have in your area. Here in the Rhineland, the classic parades and throwing candy are still popular, but I get the feeling that a lot of young people don't take all the old rules and costumes as seriously as they used to. Do you still have any real old customs that are actually being kept alive?
Carnival as I knew it back then actually works differently than many people think - it's less about enforcing strict rules and more about each generation making their own version of it. What I find interesting: young people do take it seriously, just in their own way. They might care less about the historical accuracy of a mask, but they definitely care that the whole thing is fun and works as a community activity.
What used to be considered "real old traditions" was often already an interpretation of even older traditions. The Schnitzelbänke that are still performed haven't stayed unchanged for 500 years - they adapt. What actually matters is that people still come together at all, dress up, laugh, and celebrate something as a group. Whether someone costumes themselves strictly by the rules or just throws together some wild outfit is ultimately less relevant than the question of whether the tradition is still being lived.
That might be exactly the crux of your observation: it's less about less seriousness, but about a different kind of liveliness. If it were only about the classical forms and young people rejected those, then yes, it would die out. But as long as they're celebrating along - whether traditionally or in their own quirky way - the spirit of Carnival stays alive.
Where I'm from, we still have the classic Schnitzelbänke and Mummenschänze, where people dress up in completely wild costumes and go from house to house - that tradition's still very much alive, even if fewer people are doing it. I think it's the same everywhere with young people - they treat it more as a party weekend than as a real tradition, but the older generations and some local clubs really hold onto the old customs. Where we are, for example, the Narrensprung is still a big deal, with loads of people in elaborate masks marching along - you can tell it still matters. 🎭
In the Black Forest, we still have the Carnival parades with the guilds, where people walk around in elaborate masks - witches, jesters, that sort of thing. What's special about it is that there are still strict rules about who's allowed to march in which guild and what the costumes have to look like - no compromises. My family's been taking part for what feels like forever, and honestly, I've noticed that young people in particular tend to take the traditions quite seriously - not all of them, but many see it as part of their identity. It's really different from the Rhineland; here it's less about casually tossing candy, more about the cultural side of Carnival.
I don't think young people take it less seriously - more like they live out the traditions differently, less dogmatically. What I find interesting: if you really want to experience old customs, it's often worth visiting smaller villages instead of big cities, where a lot of stuff still happens according to the old ways. In many regions there's also still the tradition of getting together before Carnival and making costumes together instead of just buying something - that creates a completely different connection to the whole spectacle.
Log into answer.
