Last year, carnivalists in Saxony had to do without big celebrations and parades. Now the clubs in the Free State can hope for a normal carnival start - for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
Dresden (dpa/sn) - The Saxon carnival clubs are looking forward to the first start of the season under normal conditions since the beginning of the corona pandemic. "On Friday we are planning a completely normal, traditional carnival start," said the chairman of the Radeburg Carnival Club, Kai Drabe, to the German Press Agency. Before the eyes of many onlookers, the association wants to have the key to the town hall handed over at 11.11 a.m. on the market square. The three planned ceremonial sessions on Friday, Saturday and the following Saturday are almost sold out. "People are just in the mood for carnival, you can feel that," said Drabe.
In Leipzig, you can also celebrate again on Friday without any restrictions: "We are very happy to finally have November 11th again, which will bring us into the new season with good momentum," said Thèrese Hennig, Vice President of the Leipzig Carnival Promotion Committee. Nine carnival clubs from Leipzig and the surrounding area are organized in the committee. In addition to handing over the key to the town hall, Leipzig plans to announce the head of the carnival, Leila the lioness. Most of the almost 190 member clubs of the Saxon Carneval Association are also "cheerful" and are preparing for a normal start, said spokesman Michael Rohde.
The association wants to inaugurate the restored carnival monument on Palaisplatz in Dresden on Saturday (2 p.m.). From mid-January, the clubs in the association are planning a "halfway normal season," said Rohde. There are many event plans, but whether and how these can be implemented depends on the development of the number of infections, which is not yet foreseeable. Therefore, the plans would initially only be pushed forward with the “handbrake on”. The pandemic is not the only problem that concerns the clubs. Added to this would be a decline in membership, rising energy costs and inflation.
Nevertheless, the carnivalists are trying to remain confident. Saxony's largest move before the pandemic took place in Radeburg. The new club chairman, Drabe, was optimistic that there will be another move next year: "At the moment, everything that goes in the direction of conditions does not suggest anything bad and we hope it stays that way." In Plessa (Elbe-Elster district) and Leipzig, there are also plans to move again next year. There is hope here too: "It's looking pretty good at the moment," said Thèrese Hennig from the Leipzig Carnival Committee.
