Anyone who was in Austria today might have thought it was Halloween! Pirates in the U-Bahn, Clowns behind the counter at the bakery,.. what’s going on?! It’s not even October!

It’s Faschingsdienstag! The last chance for everyone to get out and party and let their hair down before the fasting season begins. People dress up in costumes, drink a little too much alcohol, and eat lots of Krapfens! The time between Fasching and Easter is known as the fasting time, where people are supposed to eat less food and not drink any alcohol.

Here are some websites where you can read more about Fasching:
in English
Karneval – Fastnacht – Fasching (An Introduction)
About.com: Fastnacht / Karneval

auf Deutsch
Wikipedia: Faschingsdienstag