Ash Wednesday.. End of Mardi gras.. The Mardi Gras Carnival has ended, and Lent has begun. These crazy days of the "Mummenschanz" (Carnival) are an ancient celebration of scaring Father Winter away. Everybody wore masks and costumes and for many days there was partying, balls, dances, playing tricks on one another and "letting of steam".. I still remember that they buried the "Blasl" in our Egerland, my home. The "Blasl," is probably a nickname for Blasius and I really don't know the connection, because that same type of - maybe "specter" or clown - is known as "Hockeditz" in Germany. This Hockeditz however is not buried, like our Blasl, but he is burned. You will now ask: How does that thing look? Well, it is an effigy of a man in old clothes stuffed with straw. The Egerlander Blasl is a priced possession of the entire village. He is tied to an old chair which is then suspended under the rafters of the tallest building in the village. This clown rules over the last few days of Mardi gras. Actually on January 1st the Mayor of each town had to hand over the symbolic key of his town to the "Reign of Fools" represented by an elected King and Queen for that season. It was a great honor! While they represented the "rulers," old Basil under the rafters was the season's "spirit". I remember that the worst that could happen to a village was when another village sto! le good old Blasl from their rafters! This was quite plainly an abduction, and it would cost everyone a pretty penny and many barrels of beer to get him back.. and they HAD to have him back, because Blasl needed to be buried in the ground at the end of Mardi Gras. Not only were all the Carnival activities at an end at Midnight on Fat Tuesday, but the congregation walked with Blasl down to the creek, or river, or if worse came to worst to the village's goose pond. There the men would cut holes into the ice and all the men would reach for their wallets and the women for their satchels, kneel down in the snow and "wash out their money burses" to signify that there was no more money to spend on drink. This done and back on wobbly knees, there would be "roasts" of village members and provided a chance to voice grievances in a funny way that nobody would take serious. But after that, a great lament would begin, because now Blasl was dying and gags of reviving him would be act! ed out defying description. After all people had made sure that Blasl was truly dead, a funny funeral would be held in his honor and finally he was laid to rest under great moaning, groaning, weeping and lamenting. After several days of inebriation that was very easy to do! This done, a few people would seek their beds in an exhausted state, the others would meander around to clear their heads and to appear quite rumpled at the first church service of the day to repent their sins. "Mea culpa, mea culpa". it was so wonderful! After they had danced many nights away, they now dragged heavy feet and numb heads into church. They walked out with ashes on their hair or at least a cross of ashes painted on their forehead. The last fat was used up for "Faschingskrapfen" a filled doughnut, and several cups of coffee would revive the sinners to go home to sleep. The next day was wash day, because the ashes had dirtied the bed linen and the shoes were brought to the cobbler, bec! ause the soles had been danced through... and the consequences often did not show up until November... from Aida