Masks of Carnival: A Photojourney

The masks of carnival are one of my favorite parts of Carnival in Germany.  Carnival officially begins on Nov 11th, but it doesn’t really ramp up until the crazy carnival week starting today (Feb 16,2012).  Old Woman’s Day kicks off the festivities and is my favorite day of carnival and you’ll likely see lots of women dressed up as witches.  During the rest of carnival you will see scary masks with bulging eyes, warts and jutting chins meant to scare winter away.  Sadly it hasn’t worked so far this year and I’m in desperate need of a holiday to Magaluf in Majorca.  Then there are the same masks with a huge grin plastered on them  – to welcome in Spring perhaps and to hand out handy!
The best place to see the masks of carnival is at one of the MANY carnival parades found throughout certain parts of Germany.  These photos are from the Stuttgart Carnival Parade and the Tübingen Carnival Parade, both located in SW Germany.

Either this mask wasn't that scary or the kids were more concerned about the candy!

Many of the masks are hand-carved and can cost upwards of €1000!

These guys were scary and smart! It was freezing, but their costumes looked rather cozy.

Not only are these guys scary, they’re also tricksters, sneaking up behind the crowd and smearing unsuspecting people’s faces with black paint, or dumping flour on people’s heads when they weren’t looking.  The lucky ones just get covered in confetti.  I’ve been lucky…so far! Note:  Don’t wear white or expensive clothes when you go to a carnival parade!

They're not just pretty faces, they're also expert pyramid builders!

This guy kept lifting his mask for quick sips of his beer. He certainly was one of the happiest parade participants.

One of my personal favorite carnival masks.

Whoever said that Germany is the least funny country in the world, has obviously never been to a carnival parade where scariness and silliness go hand in hand!

This photo has been submitted as part of Travel Photo Thursday by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox.  Check out her site for more travel photos that probably don’t include scary masks.