Germans want to get through the carnival season without misunderstandings
“The word ‘Bützen’ means kisses on the cheek, and this is a traditional part of the carnival,” says the information brochure that the authorities in Bonn issued specifically for refugees ahead of the carnival season in the Rhine region. The brochure, in four languages, describes not only the “kisses” but also other celebration traditions. For example, “Kamelle” – this word comes from “caramel,” but today it refers to any sweets generously thrown from carnival floats.
In the Rhine cities, carnival processions start as early as February 4, and municipal workers are actively distributing informational brochures in dormitories and refugee centers. Sabine Kaldorf, a representative of the humanitarian organization Save me, which deals with refugee issues in Bonn, welcomes the idea. “For people who have never heard of carnival in their lives, seeing it live can be a shock, even if in a positive sense,” she says. “An outsider may feel that the rules of the game, which are essentially meant to protect women from sexual violence, have suddenly lost their force.” Therefore, she believes that refugees need to be clearly explained what is acceptable and what is not.
However, carnival is not only about funny costumes, songs, and the “storming of the town hall” – anyone who has been on the streets of Bonn, Cologne, or Düsseldorf at this time knows this. The relaxed atmosphere there often coexists with drunken antics or even “attempts at intimacy” that go far beyond innocent “Bützen.”
This could easily lead to misunderstandings, the authorities in Bonn believe. So the brochure for refugees also contains some warnings. For example, to drink in moderation when consuming the local beer Kölsch, under no circumstances to relieve oneself on the street, and not to misinterpret the “kisses”: “Sexual harassment is unacceptable! It doesn't matter whether with men or women, everything must be by mutual consent. No means no!”
It seems that in Mönchengladbach, they also decided not to rely on chance and hope that everything would pass peacefully and without incidents. The local carnival association MGV also issued a leaflet translated into several languages. It states that although during carnival it is customary to “drink more than usual,” the rules must still be observed. Dancing and “kisses” at carnival “usually have no sexual subtext,” the leaflet explains. Furthermore, it emphasizes that not every relationship between a man and a woman must necessarily end in marriage. And it concludes: crimes “like those committed on New Year's Eve in Cologne will not be tolerated, and all perpetrators will be punished.”
Noura Saab el-Chami, a refugee from Lebanon who has been living in Cologne for a year, agrees with this. She does not plan to celebrate carnival because she knows nothing about it. She hasn't read the brochure yet either, but would be grateful for any useful information. The 25-year-old refugee considers it very important to explain and tell arriving migrants about local traditions, customs, cultural differences, and rules of behavior. “There are many rules in Germany that must be followed. Many simply don't know exactly how to behave properly,” she believes. But even she takes it for granted that you cannot urinate in the middle of the street or sexually harass women.
The Federal Government Commissioner for Refugee Affairs, Aydan Özoğuz, criticizes such initiatives, believing that such “rules of good manners” are issued specifically for refugees. In an interview with the broadcaster WDR, she stated: one should not treat migrants like “cavemen.”
The carnival clubs of Bonn and Cologne do not issue any special “rulebooks.” For example, one of the brochures of the Bonn Carnival Committee explains in Arabic only the basics of this traditional holiday: what “Women's Carnival Thursday” (Weiberfastnacht), “Rose Monday” (Rosenmontag) are, and who the carnival prince and princess are.
The Cologne Carnival Committee follows the same principle. “Are you in Cologne for the first time?” – this question, with which their brochure begins, is addressed not only to refugees but to everyone who has come to their city for the first time. On seven pages, the Cologne Committee addresses newcomers to the Rhine region in German, English, and Arabic, trying to convey the very spirit of carnival. The essence is primarily to “forget everyday routine for a few hours, plunging into celebration with friends and, even more importantly, with complete strangers.”
Freely reinterpreting the tenth commandment of the informal, folkloric-beer “Cologne constitution” – “Drinks de ejne met?” (Will you have a drink with me?) – the carnival committee emphasizes: “Everyone can take part – young and old, men, women, and children, Cologne residents and guests from all over the world!”
The Cologne Committee does not avoid sensitive topics such as excessive drinking, overly intimate dancing, or “kisses,” but all warnings and explanations are formulated in a humorous manner and using the informal “you.” For example, to the question “Can you just join the celebration?” the answer is: “Of course! Cologne residents are generally open and interested in strangers.” An inviting smile will show whether someone wants to “celebrate and have fun with you.”
And although alcohol is an indispensable attribute of carnival for many Cologne residents, getting drunk is by no means necessary. The leaflet emphasizes that “having fun, singing, and dancing without alcohol is no less enjoyable.” Ultimately, any true carnival fan is convinced: “Et hätt noch immer jot jejange” – “So far, everything has always gone well!”