FEATURE
Check out Valentine’s offers, Pages 13-16
6-5… in the fight!, Page 8
HEALTH
Coronavirus: What providers, patients should know, Page 9
February 7, 2020 | Volume 44, Number 5
FEATURE
Joint NCO induction ceremony, Page 12
Read the KA online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com
Beyond the Bier: Say “Helau” to Fasching
A man blasts pieces of colored paper at a crowd during fasching, a festival held across Europe, in the city of Ramstein, Feb. 28, 2017. Fasching is Germany’s carnival season. It starts on the 11th day of November at exactly 11 minutes after 11 a.m. and ends at the stroke of midnight on Shroud Tuesday — often referred to as Fat Tuesday. Photo by Senior Airman Lane T. Plummer
by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bass 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Beyond the Bier is a cultural series based on German customs, traditions and history in the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Get to know why your new neighbors celebrate, and commemorate certain holidays and observances — often with a wine or beer.
As the new year rolls in, one day in mid-February stands out. Around the Kaiserslautern Military Community it’s called Fasching, but throughout German speaking
countries it can be referred to as Karneval or Fastnacht as well. So how do we as Americans fit into this celebration? Where did Fasching come from and why is it celebrated? Fasching is celebrated before the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Church’s observance of Lent. Fasching is considered to be a Christian holiday, but the celebrations of Fasching can be seen in pagan festivals and rituals from Germanic tribes in ancient Germany. Those celebrations were designed to drive away evil spirits, encourage spring to come and good crops to grow.
Many cities hold large parades and festivals to commemorate the occasion. Mainz holds their large, traditional carnival on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Their parade is the second largest one in Germany, while Koln’s is the largest festival. The cities of Trier and Koblenz also host large parades. Attendees are encouraged to dress up however they desire. From cowboys to hippies you’ll see many different costumes during these festivals; and floats designed to satirically mimic politicians will roll down the street. RamsteinMiesenbach holds their parade on
Fat Tuesday. This year’s celebration will take place Feb. 25 at 2:30 p.m. During celebrations held long ago, food and drink was widely consumed and normal city ordinances and order were suspended. Some notable examples were the keys to the city being given to jesters or fools, women ceremoniously ruling the town, noisy parades and masquerade balls. The term Fasching can be traced back to the 13th century. It’s a derivation of the modern German word, fastenschank, which refers to the last serving of alcohol before Lent. Although the exact history
of Fasching is unclear, references date back to the early 13th century. Going back to 1234, city-wide celebrations occurred in Cologne, Mainz and Speyer. While Fasching season officially starts on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m., the parades and balls typically occur during the last few days before Lent begins. The celebration ends at midnight on Ash Wednesday. Those interested in being involved with this year’s festivities should contact their local Rathaus or town hall to get more information about Fasching celebrations in their area.
Team effort helps expand shopping privileges for veterans in KMC by Airman 1st Class John R. Wright 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 expanded veteran
eligibility for shopping at military exchanges and commissaries as of Jan. 1. Newly eligible Department of Veterans Affairs service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war
and primary veteran caregivers can utilize these benefits at Ramstein Air Base thanks to the joint efforts of Army and 86th Airlift Wing personnel. The process for taking advantage of the new shopping ben-
efits is unique in the Kaiserslautern Military Community because of international agreements and hostnation laws. The 86th Mission Support Group and 86th Security Forces Squadron coordinated efforts with
other agencies to ensure eligible veterans could take advantage of expanded benefits. “Multiple man-hours were spent by all parties involved to See PRIVILEGES, Page2