#fasnet

well, there indeed exist local Jester Guilds (Narrenzünfte), some of which are part of a sort of a jester union type organisation, VSAN (Vereinigung Schwäbisch-Alemannischer Narrenzünfte). it's a big deal, not every guild is accepted into VSAN. to be eligible, the jester guild must show a commitment to preserving cultural heritage, and not randomly invent Fasnet characters and/or modify their costume.

the VSAN wikipedia page has a full member list by town/village with the correct Narrenrufe: jester calls that you should shout back at them (like Narri! Narro!)

I also found scalding tea about a guild that got expelled, because they introduced some kind of witch costume, which I think did not have a historical prototype?

the guilds have Präsidenten and Zunftmeister and meet up regularly to discuss urgent jester matters, hold lectures, and check and approve costumes. (the Rottweil Narrenzunft president signs his announcements with 'Mit närrischen Grüßen')

anyone can become a guild member by filling in an official form and paying a yearly membership fee. members take part in the carneval itself (in full jester gear!), as well as jester meet-ups, and might have part-time volunteer duties, such as costume repairs. if you successfully climb jester career ladder and reach Narrenratsmitglied status, your photo in a delightful traditional hat will be featured on your local jester guild website.

Oberndorf jester guild also awards pretty enamel medals to committed jesters who took part in 10, 25 or 40 Narrensprünge.

okay, however endearingly German/Swabian this whole establishment is, it seems to have serious historical reasons other than a natural German penchant for tradition/bureaucracy. VSAN was originally formed as a form of political pushback against jester and Fastnacht bans and a collective attempt to save jester/carnival culture. cool!

I really recommend looking up local Narrenzunft websites and perusing the character galleries.

Entschuldigung, wenn ich was falsch verstanden habe! Ich weiß ziemlich wenig über die Fasnet, und außerdem ist Deutsch nicht meine Muttersprache. Also korriegiert mich bitte, falls etwas nicht stimmt! Danke

German Carnival!

Schwäbisch-Allemanische Fasnet to be precise, that is traditions specifically from south-west Germany. Every town has what feels like a dozen guilds, all with their specific costume (Häs), masks (Larve) and traditions. The characters are often witches, jesters, devils, or some super specific creature no one outside of that town knows. Old traditions are lovingly preserved and new ones invented all the time.

Here are some impressions from our public broadcaster (SWR)

Ich dachte wirklich jeder hat eine Narrenzunft die ab dem 11.11. schon ein bisschen am durchdrehen ist und dann ab 06.01 keine Ruhe mehr hat. Jede Woche Umzüge und Festzelte, Lumpenkapellen und Fasnetsbälle. Habs früher irgendwie echt gehasst, und hatte tierische Angst vor diesen doofen Hexen, aber es ist eigentlich eine so tolle Tradition die mich dieses Jahr richtig emotional gemacht hat.