Follow this link to view the photos from the 2011 Fasching at St Martin’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco.


Fasching, Fastnacht, Fasnet, Karneval–the names differ in the various regions of Germany, but they all mean the same thing: the “foolish” late-winter days, dedicated to merry-making and fun.


Carnival is celebrated in many parts of the world. It combines the human desire to disguise with a number of old fertility rites and customs. The wild celebrations of the change of the seasons at the winter solstice were celebrated over many centuries and eventually relegated to the time between January 6th and Ash Wednesday.