So feiert man Karneval im Süden (Topic: Carnival)
Translation
That’s how we celebrate in the south
In the southern regions of Germany as well as in Austria and Switzerland, carnival is known as Fasching. The customs here differ from those in the Rhineland, as here the parades are intended to drive away the winter. People parade through the streets wearing scary wooden masks or disguised as witches and devils in the hope of chasing away evil spirits. The noise that they make with bells, whips and brooms is supposed to wake the good spirits that bring spring and fertility to the land. This eerie scene is often accompanied by torches and singing.
The unique terms, imaginative costumes and customs can also vary from region to region. For example, in parts of southern Germany they celebrate “dirty Thursday” (schmutzigen Donnerstag), which is the Thursday before Lent. The name refers to the traditional doughnuts that are baked schmotzig (deep fried). A similar tradition is known as Schmalziger Samstag. In Austria, this is the Saturday before Lent where they bake traditional Schmalzküchlein.