Party like it’s 1399!
Celebrated by pre-Christians as a means of driving out winter and evil spirits and welcoming in the springtime—in part through the role reversal of masters and enslaved people—Karneval was later adopted by the church as a festive period to enjoy food, drink, and revelry before the fasting and penitence of Lent. Today, Karneval retains many of the traditions that began in the Middle Ages. It’s also known as Fasching or Fastnacht, depending on which part of Germany you’re in, and each carries different traditions. The Athenaeum celebration is modeled after Karneval in Köln, or Cologne, sister city to Indianapolis.
