Let the Fasching Begin!

I was invited to partake on a yearly ritual held at the Ulmer Brewery in Ulm - the revealing of Hexen Sud, also called Witches Brew. It is brewed specifically for Fasching. For those who do not know about Fasching/Karneval/Fastnacht, it is an event very similar to Mardi Gras where people are dressed up and celebrate life. It's origins are religious and agricultural - Wikipedia would explain it way better than I would. The start of the celebrations usually start a week before Ash Wednesday and Lent but some like to start a bit earlier ;)

So here we are - starting a wee bit earlier. I did not know what to expect except that they were revealing a specially brewed beer and that I should dress warm because it was held outside. Well, I did dress warm and yes it was held outside, but most of the festivities were held in a tent. The main one was held on a stage right outside the brewery. Many people came all dressed up in traditional costumes that you will see later. I was surprised to see so many people show up. There were even bus loads coming from nearby cities and towns. I saw people of all ages - yes, including some children, but they don't get to drink of course. All were giddy with excitement for the event to begin.

The event began with a huge group of band members playing a song. On the main stage just beside them, smoke would occassionally puff out from the ground. After the song was done, there were speeches including the one given by Thorsten's father who manages the brewery. Then more smoke. Then the witch appears hovering over cartons and cartons of Hexen Sud Bier! And the best part that I am sure everyone was waiting for ... it's all free for those attending to drink! And .... you can grab as many as you want! Some people even had big jackets as part of their costumes so that they can stuff these bottles down their pockets to drink later on in the night. It was amusing to see. After a few minutes of mingling and music from the band, everyone entered the tent for music and dancing.

Most of the songs were German songs and Fasching songs. People were dancing and drinking. Most were just hanging about and watching the people dance while drinking and chatting away. Around 8:15 ish (the event started at around 6:30ish), a small group of the band members came in and played songs like Happy Together. They played for about 30 minutes. I'm not a big fan of band music but it was quite the experience. The best one has to be when the DJ played a dance mix version of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and instead of saying "Bah Bah Bah," they sang "Dun Dun Dun." Also, when it came to the part of "so good," everyone would repeat 3 times "so good, so good, so good" like this song has been played many times before  :) All in all, it was pretty enjoyable experience I am glad to partake. And yes... I drank a whole bottle of the Hexen Sud Bier ... unfortunately not without getting a wee bit on the drunk side :)

A few photos from the album - Hexen Sud Bier.