A lot of people dress up for the festival including these kids riding to Luzern on the train with us.

FEBRUARY 23, 2009 MONDAY

P-day today and it started out about like all the others only a little earlier. Elders Pine and Harris wanted to come this morning at 9:00 to do their emails so they would be done by 11:00 or so. That is the time we needed to be at the Bahnhof to catch our train to Luzern so we could get there in time to see the Fastnacht parade. After Elders P&H got here Elder Ehlen called to check on when we were going to meet at the bahnhof. Since the others were here, we invited them to come here to do their emails and have lunch before we left. They quickly took us up on our invitation and were here in less than a half hour. It was a little tight for them all to get all the time on the computer they each wanted, but they got it done. While they were doing that, Diana and I were getting lunch ready. We made them a jazzed up pizza, hot chocolate, brownies and a chocolate mousse. We also prepared some pre-made frozen rice balls filled with a peanut butter filling that we bought from the little Asian store. They come frozen and you put them in boiling water and cook them until they float to the top. I thought everything was delicious including the rice balls.

We got to the train station in time to run to catch our train and we did finally found enough empty seats for us to all sit together (6). It only took about thirty minutes or so to get to Luzern where we got off and joined the crowd that was gathering. We found a good spot on the bridge next to the TV crew covering the event. Sometimes they got in the way but, all in all, everything was excellent. We got a lot of film clips and photos; you’ll probably get sick of seeing them before we get through posting all of them. It’s hard to describe all the different costumes so you’ll just have to see them in the photos. Sometimes those in the parade threw candy, oranges, chocolate, and even a banana. We probably got our share and even got a small maraca (rattle). I wanted to get a Luzern or Swiss flag, but I never lucked out. The parade started a little after 2:00 and was still going strong when we had to leave at 4:00. During the parade a little girl was selling Fastnacht pins so we bought one. A man came running over with an orange that he split and wanted to put on Diana’s nose like a clown’s nose. Diana didn’t see him coming and it frightened her and the man finally gave up and tried it on someone else. Another interesting one was a group of men on specially built bicycles which were hinged in the middle. It seemed impossible to ride them, but they did very well on them doing tricks along the way. A man standing next to us, who was drunk, said that the real Fastnacht begins in the “Old Town” after the parade ends. We weren’t sure what that meant and it’s probably just as well that we couldn’t go see. Following is a description of Fasnacht taken off the internet. It was not written by me.

“I can tell you a little bit off the top of my head about Fastnacht Day.
First of all, you probably know that it occurs the day before Ash Wednesday,
which marks the beginning of Lent. In England it's called Shrove Tuesday,
and in French it's called Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"). Of course, in Europe,
in New Orleans, in Mobile, in Canada and in Latino culture, the weeks prior
to Lent are for partying, as in the German Fasching, Fasnacht or Karneval,
the French Mardi Gras or the Italian carnival. It represents a period of
revelry before the solemn period of fasting and self-reflection. In fact,
"Fastnacht" means "Eve of the Fast."
The Penna. Dutch celebrate only a single day--Fastnacht Day, or Shrove
Tuesday. I heard once that the tradition of eating fastnachts, which are
unleavened, deep-fried doughnuts, originated in Germany hundreds of years
ago (maybe in the Middle Ages?), with the superstition that this would
prevent boils in the coming year. (I don't think this tradition is even
observed in Germany anymore!?) It serves as a way of using up the last of
the lard (and sugar and stuff?) before beginning a fast from sweets (and,
for some Catholics, meat on Fridays).I assume the Shrove Tuesday pancake
suppers we have here serve the same purpose.
Our family has always observed Fastnacht Day in what I think is the
typical Pennsylvania Dutch way. Everyone eats fastnachts (in our home, at
breakfast), and the last person to get out of bed is called the fastnacht.
But it seems that in some places the festivities once were a bit more
elaborate, although this might not be the case anymore. In Cincinnati, for
example, the children used to dress in costumes and masks--just as is done
during Karneval/carnival/Mardi Gras in Europe and New Orleans. The kids
would go from house to house collecting fastnachts and other goodies. And at
one time, ashes from the fires used to cook the fastnachts were sprinkled on
the cattle and chickens on Ash Wednesday to rid them of lice.
This last tidbit comes from a book called GERMAN-AMERICAN FOLKLORE,
which was compiled and edited by Mac E. Barrick. Would you like me to see
what else I can find?”

We got home just in time to go to the store to buy some fruit for our fruit pizza, get back home and finish making it and then get to the FHE. Elder Pine gave the lesson which was on receiving inspiration and answers to prayer. We don’t receive by simply asking; it takes work such as reading and studying the scriptures, pondering, praying, sometimes over a long period of time. We have to “wrestle” for answers. Sometimes the Lord may withhold answers because it may not be something that is necessary for us to know. The scriptures advise we should only ask for those things that are right. He placed nine books on the floor in three rows of three and then asked Elder Harris to go out of the room. Someone in our group chose a specific book and then Elder Harris was asked to come back into the room. He was to say which book was chosen when Elder Pine randomly pointed at different books, one of which was the chosen book. Every time he guessed right. The rest of us were supposed to find out how he did it. I was the only one who figured it out. The point of the game was to illustrate we all learn at a different rate.

When the lesson was done, we played Diana’s concentration game which she made herself. After everyone had made the pairs they could, everyone had to connect the picture to a gospel principle. For example, if the picture was of a pair of lips, one could say that no evil thing should pass over the lips or bear false witness. Some of the answers were kind of funny and everyone had a good time. Then for every picture a prize was given such as a roll of toilet paper for the picture of the toilet paper, a chocolate heart for the heart, a feather for the birds, a bottle cap for the bottles of drinking water, an old glove for the picture of the gloves, and etc. Everyone had fun and we hope, learned something. Everyone liked the dessert and we only had to bring home two pieces. Next Monday is movie night when we’ll watch “The Best Two Years.” This is not the best of movies to show when our investigator is there, but they all wanted a funny show, one the missionaries could watch and that would help the Swiss learn and practice their English. We, on the other hand, would rather have watched “Emma” again.