Deutschland

The things people celebrate..... Wouldn't it be easier to just watch the news? No shortage of pointless carnage.... No need to celebrate the past cruelties of people, there are plenty of modern ones to choose from.

Well, I am not really big on the Funken Sunday. When I was the age at which a lot of young people jump at any "traditional" exuse to get drunk around a bonfire even in the worst moths with an "r" in them I did not live in an area with this aleman fasnet tradition.

This is no medival themed party but more a pre-christian one. The "witch" is of course not meant to be a helpless innocent woman accused by people to have an adult relationship with a devil and curse the cows, the grain and and the babies, but just a sort of winter spirit to be exorcised every year anew.

Funken today are mostly comercialized and extremely regulated events in order to be all lawful and safe and yet still draw in as many as possible city people that buy themselves drinks and food provided by the comunity clubs -- to an extend that untimely lighting of the pyre of the neighbor comunity has become a financial loss to sue over rather than a fun sport amongst the most ambitious village louts in the 14 to early 20s age range.

Generally a Saint John's Fire is much preferable. No tasteless witch effigy with the left over new years fireworks under her skirt, but it's at summer soltstice so you get at least no iced bum whilst fire and alcol warm up the face and belly. But even so, pyre events usually result in both lots of drunk driving and lots of nightly police controls to catch those drunk drivers and fine them. It's best to be home after onset of full darkness the latest and not go out again to safe yourself all the hassle.

Perhaps I am just an old foggey....