display

Leipzig (dpa / sn) - The foolish hustle and bustle in ballrooms and street parades is canceled this year due to the corona pandemic in Saxony - especially when looking at the balance sheets, many clubs will lose their mood for celebration.

"Economically, the damage is huge, but cannot be quantified at the moment," said Michael Rohde, spokesman for the Saxon Carneval Association.

Some, especially smaller clubs, will probably no longer exist in the coming season because their main source of income will no longer exist.

187 clubs in Saxony have joined the umbrella organization, but there are also a large number of other clubs.

"Carnival is like Christmas, it is not simply canceled," emphasized Rohde with a little defiance.

The clubs are creative and there are online events, costumes are awarded with the help of images in the social networks.

"I am particularly sorry for the 10,000 or so volunteers who plan the carnival for months and for whom the carnival is the highlight of the year," said Rohde.

Saxony's largest move in Radeburg was also canceled early.

"This allowed the costs to stay within limits and with the help of reserves from previous years, our association did not get into financial difficulties," said the chairman of the Radeburg Carnival Club, Olaf Häßlich.

Instead there was a virtual show session with current clips and excerpts from the past.

Ugly himself moderated the event from his kitchen with constantly changing costumes.

display

The clubs were badly shaken by the failures and everyone hoped that normality would return soon, explained Häßlich.

But he also emphasized: Although the carnival is the “most beautiful thing in the world”, there are currently more important things.

"If all events have to be canceled again next year due to the corona pandemic, we in Germany will have other problems than thinking about carnival."

The contents of the digital move in Leipzig are still secret.

"In any case, the mascot of the Leipzig Carnival, the lioness Leila, will lead the parade," reveals Cathleen Keller, Vice President of the Leipzig Carnival Funding Committee.

The recordings will be released on February 14th, the date of the originally planned Rose Sunday parade.

The town hall keys captured on November 11th will be returned on Ash Wednesday (February 17th).

Financially, the failure of the removals and events hits the clubs very hard, explained Keller.

There was no sponsorship money and there were running costs such as rents for the houses.

“At the moment, a lot is funded privately.

But that doesn't go well for long, ”emphasized Keller.

display

Thanks to the reserves, the Wittichenau Carnival Association is still well positioned in Upper Lusatia.

"And as a replacement for the unusual events, there was an internal virtual evening with small clips, hand-made speeches and music," explained club president Mathias Glaab.

He also called on people to decorate the outside of the houses on Rose Sunday and to hang out flags.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210207-99-334693 / 2

Homepage Wittichenau Carnival Association

display

Homepage Radeburg Carnevals Club

Homepage Association of Saxon Carneval

Homepage Leipzig Carnival Funding Committee