Have you heard tell of West Virginia's Swiss village? It's the tiny mountain hamlet of Helvetia in
Randolph County, a small West Virginia town that fully embraces its European heritage. And as part of that Swiss identity, every February the town of Helvetia throws a massive party known as Fasnacht, to bid Old Man Winter goodbye and welcome spring with open arms.
For more than 50 years, the unique West Virginia town of Helvetia has kept an old tradition alive: the tradition of Fasnacht.
This pre-Lenten celebration of winter and the changing seasons hearkens all the way back to Switzerland in 1520.
What does such an ancient celebration entail in these modern times? It entails a feast: fatty foods, baked treats, and more. It entails live music.
And it entails masks - and not just the protective masks recommended by the CDC these days. The masks associated with the Fasnacht masquerade are homemade creations designed to scare away Old Man Winter.
So is the event's lampion parade and the large bonfire that crowns the evening and at which an effigy of Old Man Winter is burned.
What is the purpose of Fasnacht? Besides building community, this festival seeks to uphold the long Swiss tradition of ushering in a healthy, happy spring following a cold, dark winter season.
This celebration of the seasons is open to the public, with certain cautions in place. Have you ever attended the Fasnacht celebration in Helvetia, West Virginia? Which part of the experience was your favorite?
To learn more about Fasnacht, including when, where, and how you can attend this end-of-February event yourself, visit Randolph County's tourism website here. You can also learn more about Helvetia on Facebook here. What are your favorite West Virginia festivals? Here's a list of a few more, and they're not confined just to February!
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