The house is strewn wth discarded costumes – a hard hat, swords and shields, a fireman’s trousers, a pussycat’s tail – and the baby is dressed as a dragon. I myself am about to don Bavarian tradional dress and hand out sweets at kindergarten (the things you do for your kids know no bounds). Carneval has arrived in Germany. The six days preceeding Ash Wednesday are known as Fasching or Karneval. It is a non-stop fancy dress party marathon for chidren and adults alike. I have spent the last ten days preparing for the annual Kindergarten Kasperletheater, a Punch and Judy show for ninty-something under sixes. Legs have been sewn onto puppets, the princess got a skirt of Ikea napkins, and a balloon and some papier mache became a talking stone.Â
