carnival
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carnival
A festival celebrated in the weeks before Lent, especially in Catholic regions. It is characterized by parades, costumes, music, and exuberant celebrations and is also called Fasching or Fastnacht.
In Köln wird der Karneval jedes Jahr groß gefeiert.
In Cologne, carnival is celebrated in a big way every year.
carnival
In a figurative sense, a chaotic, loud, or ridiculous event or situation.
Die Parlamentssitzung war ein reiner Karneval der Eitelkeiten.
The parliamentary session was a pure carnival of vanities.
There are different names for this festival in Germany. 'Karneval' (carnival) is used especially in the Rhineland (e.g., in Cologne). In southern Germany and Austria, 'Fasching' is more common, while in southwestern Germany and Switzerland people often celebrate 'Fastnacht'.
Wir fahren dieses Jahr für den Karneval nach Düsseldorf.
We’re going to Düsseldorf for carnival this year.
By far the most common verb used in connection with this festival is 'feiern' (to celebrate). You can say 'Karneval feiern' (to celebrate carnival) or say that you do something specific 'im Karneval' (during carnival).
Feierst du dieses Jahr auch Karneval?
Are you celebrating carnival this year too?
In its figurative meaning, 'Karneval' (carnival) describes a chaotic or absurd situation. It is often used with 'ein reiner Karneval' (a pure carnival) or in the expression 'ein Karneval der...' (a carnival of...) to characterize the chaos.
Die Diskussion im Team war ein reiner Karneval, niemand hat zugehört.
The team discussion was a pure carnival; nobody listened.
Carnival
Karneval and Fasching both refer to the festive season before Lent, with parades and costumes. The key difference is regional usage: Karneval is especially common outside southern Germany, while Fasching is used mainly in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. So choose the term used in your region.
In Köln feiern die Menschen den Karneval mit großen Umzügen und bunten Kostümen.
In Cologne, people celebrate carnival with large parades and colorful costumes.
In München feiern die Menschen den Fasching mit großen Umzügen und bunten Kostümen.
In Munich, people celebrate carnival with large parades and colorful costumes.
