Holidays are celebrated differently here in Germany and living here, one must learn to get accustomed to doing things differently. You have to improvise with your mini European-sized oven when it comes to roasting a Thanksgiving turkey. Christmas season does not come with an over commercialized, Whoville-style endorsement of spending on gifts and trinkets. Valentine’s Day comes and goes without restaurants being over packed and florists selling out. This year, Halloween will pass without the streets being engulfed with little spidermen, bumble bees, or cowboys showing up on doorsteps expecting candy on the last day of this month.Trick-or-treating is slowly becoming a trend in Germany. But it’s more the exception to participate than the rule. You have to do some work to find costumes in shops. Instead of trick-or-treating, the Germans use their historical landscape to celebrate this terrifying holiday, giving this American girl a unique approach to the holiday. I never knew, until recently, that the creepy locations that inspire many of America’s thriller novels turn sci-fi hallmarks are located right here in Europe. Germany boasts two Frankenstein Castles: the one that inspired Mary Shelly’s novel and the other in the village of Frankenstein. Additionally, for the same amount I’d spend on a formal gown or discount Italian footwear, I can catch a flight to Bucharest and travel the Romanian country side to the home of the Count Dracula Castle.
Outside the Burg Frankenstein
So, last Saturday, after running a 10K Pumpkin Run then playing tennis, I tossed my gym bag in my best friend’s red pick-up and headed two hours up north toward Darmstadt to the castle that inspired Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. What I was expecting was an old castle decked in spider web decor with scary ghouls jumping out to scare and thrill the crowed. What I got was a Halloween festival.
After parking, we were shuttled up the mountain giving an eery, exciting yet foreboding anticipation to what we’d witness. Once on the mountain top, theatrical nuns greeted us off the shuttle by shouting in German. Now I must say, German often already sounds scary when it’s being shouted at you. Angry French shouting makes me giggle but German shouting is nothing to giggle about. For some reason, the nuns picked us out of the crowd.We smiled and did our typical American greeting phrase: “Sprechen sie English?” The screaming nun promptly switched her shouting into English, “Eat this and you will not die!” she instructed. “
“And if you do not die, you will get a ….a…how do you say gummy bear in English?” She shouted to the crowed.
“Gummie bear!” we helped her out.
She doled out the round communion bread. My partner in crime, Idaho Boy, tapped into his own theatrical side and pretended to choke. The nun called out to two of her comrades who carried this huge black cauldron of supposed holy water in which they hosed us.
After passing through the turnstiles and handing over our tickets we were amidst the Halloween fanfare. German’s don’t play around with their costumes. You will find no princesses, kittens, bunnies, and fairies here. Their costumes are really scary. I knew it was for pretend, but the costumes still unearthed me. This is a perfect place for adrenalin junkies. Ladies, here’s a hint: Do not make eye contact with the spirits! It will only provoke them to haunt you. I smiled at a scary fellow and he started following me with a strangling device. Another one that I made eye contact with started following me to tickle me. I tickled back darn it! Then I just started giving hugs cus scary creatures need love too.
wasn’t expecting him to touch me. I just wanted a buddy pic.
Six days until Halloween, I was bummed that I couldn’t find a cape or wing to complete my Storm super hero custom because there are no Halloween costume stores and no Wal-mart with a Halloween aisle. So I waited for my costume to arrive from Amazon.com to my parent’s home and then for them to ship it to me because this particular retailer does not deliver overseas. It’s a good thing I didn’t just show up to Burg Frankenstein looking like a super hero. It would have only attracted unwanted attention from the frightful creatures.
Bring on the dancing zombies
This Frau’s costume was scary.
Performers
Halloween at Burg Frankenstein isn’t so much like the haunted houses in America. The actors are more hands on. The goblins grab girls and stuff them into coffins. The scary swamp monster tries to pull a girl into the swamp and the boyfriend, after allowing the scare factor sink in, comes to her rescue. The participants control the outcome. This wouldn’t fly in The States. I think Americans would likely be violent in order to preserve their macho. The Germans are just here to be frightened and have a good time. Of course with any German festival are fest tents offering typical German fest food like pizza and sausages.The castle‘s enticement message states: “We will make your nightmares come true! BEWARE: We can not guarantee your well being when 99 lively monsters roam the spooky castle.”
