I have a sudden trip coming up to Graz and I will be there on Feb. 5th, which someone told me was "Fasching". What does that mean exactly and what will I be in for?

Fasching = Mardi Gras = Fat Tuesday. Not sure how it's celebrated in Graz, but the Graz site might help:

http://www.graztourism.at/

~Liz

Thanks Liz, I had that tourism link but I can't seem to find any info re: Fasching.

Will be a big parade in the city center. Floats, people in costumes,.. just a big party, so to speak.
Usually the floats will depict or make fun of local or national current affairs, so you may not always get the point.
Will only affect you if you had to travel by car to the city center where roads will be closed for the event.

You can take a look at last year's parade at:
http://www.kleinezeitung.at/allgemei...51636/index.do
The first seconds is an interview with some of the organizing committee, but after that you do not have to understand it to get a picture

In case nobody else posts with more info, my guess is that it won't be anything you'll notice.

I suspect that day goes by mostly unnoticed, unless you're in New Orleans or Venice.

~Liz

Obviously, Cowboy1968 posted while I was slowly composing!

Thanks, Cowboy1968, I always like to learn more about the "hometown" I left at 2!

Cowboy, thanks for that! It helped to get me excited for my trip this week. I do speak German so I understood everything - it was very amusing.

Elberko, Graz is my hometown too. I left at 5 years old.

ELberko, Carnaval is very big many parts of Europe, including in the south of the Netherlands. It is a 6 day party here, starting on the Thursday before, often with a kindercarnaval, and going on through to Tuesday midnight.
Lots of very sore heads come Ash Wednesday.

Reporting back after my trip. Fasching is held on "Fat Tuesday" and in Graz many people, from businessmen to waitresses, come to work dressed in costume that day. I saw a woman dressed as a bumblebee pushing a stroller and her child was a baby bee. Behind her were six guys masquerading as the seven dwarves (they must have lost one along the way). Our Waitress was dressed as a she-devil. There is a parade through downtown and everyone eats Faschingskrapfen (jelly donuts, just like here at home, only theirs are traditionally filled just with apricot preserves.) I had a great time and was really get back to my home city once again.

Thanks for reporting back, Maggi!

I had no idea, sounds like a fun day. I need to get back to Graz...

~Liz