Kamelle!!!

So after Weiberfastnacht the parties basically continued all through the weekend. Every day I saw people dressed up in costumes, and you were also likely to hear the sounds of random music or drumming as you walked around. On Sunday Bad Godesberg held its parade, even though Rosenmontag (the Monday before Ash Wednesday) is traditionally the big parade day (I think Bad Godesberg didn't want to try to compete with the parades in Bonn and Koeln). The weather wasn't great (cold, foggy and drizzly like usual) but since the parade was literally occurring two streets away from our dorm we decided to check out, and I am so glad we did! It was far better than any american parade I've ever experienced (not that I really have a long history of experiences with american parades).

Before the parade started we just milled around Bad Godesberg; people were everywhere, the major was giving a speech, and Karnevalslieder (Karneval songs) were blasting from every speaker in sight. There were tons of food vendors, but even more beer vendors, despite the fact that it was noon on a Sunday. We were able to get good spots right on the parade route, and then the fun began. The parade consisted of large floats pulled by tractors, plus marching and drumming bads, horseback riders, and sometimes just random groups of people all dressed up in the same costume (so basically everybody involved with the Karneval clubs). As the people pass you you're supposed to yell "Kamelle!" which is literally a shortened version of "Karamelbonbon" but really just means "throw me some goodies!" You hold out your bag and try to catch some (a little like trick-or-treating I guess). And here is where the German parade is superior to the American: they don't just throw little crappy hard candies or maybe some trinkets. Oh no, they have a much different definition of what is appropriate to toss into a crowd from a float. After the parade Caroline and I compiled a list of items that we or people in our immediate vicinity received. These items include, but are not limited to:

-gummi bears, marshmallows, full-sized chocolate bars, small waffles (packaged), popcorn balls, whole boxes of cherry cordials, silly string, bouncy balls, condoms, juice boxes, chips
-flowers, plastic toys, stuffed animals (i got a crocodile!), rolls (of bread, that is), a mini toothbrush kit, a protractor, fruit, puzzles, sponges, a car kit that included blank accident reports, and I even got a full-sized volleyball (in the colors of the german flag too!)
-tissues, cough drops, matches, and small bottles of vodka. Yes they threw alcohol into the crowd, why not?

Possibly my favorite moment of the parade though was when this older lady (approximately 60) in one of the marching groups passed by. She had a bottle of schnapps in one hand and a bag of Kamellen in the other. As she passed we yelled "Kamelle!" really loudly; she turned and looked at us for a second, then pulled out a couple little plastic shot glasses, handed them to two of my friends and poured them a shot of schnapps. And then continued on her merry way. My american friends and I all looked at each other asking "did that really just happen???" while the germans continued on as if nothing unusual had occurred. Oh, cultural differences.



Checking out the floats before the parade


Beer and sausage naturally. ------------- Told you people were into Karneval


Confetti attack!


The kid in the picture on the left sure looks excited to be part of the parade


I definitely got hit in the face with some of that candy. At least I didn't try to take this picture as the float throwing volleyballs went past.


Kamelle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've still got one more Karneval post to come, and then I'll move on to other topics, I promise!