Vienna, a city so rich in culture, boasts of numerous traditions that continue to be practiced until today. One of them is the Imster Schemenlaufen, an Austrian tradition that occurs during the carnival period. This tradition has been preserved up until now and recently, UNESCO recognized it as part of the world’s cultural heritage.
The Imster Schemenlaufen is held every four years at Imst in Tyrol. This event normally takes place on a Sunday before Foolish Thursday or the last Thursday of the carnival. It lasts for an entire day starting from early in the morning and ending at 6 p.m. The last one was held in February 2012 and the next is scheduled in 2016.
During this activity, a procession takes place and only men are allowed to wear wild and attractive asks even those that depict female characters to include witches, Sackner, Roller, Scheller and Kubele-Majen. They not just walk but run, jump and dance throughout town. The event was first nominated in 2010 as part of the Austrian national cultural heritage together with the Spanish Riding School.
The local community is highly involved in this event as they get turned over to the masked characters. Interestingly, 26 different groups of masks are being featured in this fun activity.
The carnival or fasching season in Austria starts after Lent and covers various themes such as tradition and culture, kids and family, theater, music and sights. Apart from the parade of masked men, other activities lined up during the Imster Schemenlaufen are a circus, mask and public street party. In addition, there is a parade of colorful carnival floats either pulled by animals or decorated tractors. A panel of judges is in place to select the best floats for this activity.
The fasching was originally marked from the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month until Ash Wednesday. Christian religion dictates that during Lent which starts on Ash Wednesday, people need to abstain from partying, spending and too much eating as their way of fasting for 40 days hence the advanced schedule of this kind of activity. Celebrations related to this event usually involves people wearing varied costumes and masks.
