Square dance in Helvetia
The dark days of December and January are full of traditions spreading cheer and ringing in the new year. Throughout the AFNHA region, many communities come together to celebrate in their own special way. This year, members of the Elkins Community rang in the new year by joining each other in Square Dances in town.
Revelers partake in the masquerade at Fasnacht
Soon, Helvetia will celebrate Fasnacht, which is similar to Mardi Gras. The Helvetian Fasnacht celebration combines Catholic Lent traditions with Winterfest traditions originating in Zurich. During the celebration, Helvetians wear masks to disguise themselves from one another and to keep Old Man Winter away. They also burn an effigy of Old Man Winter to ensure a good spring follows shortly after.
A second New Year’s tradition with a much more nebulous past is the Lewisburg Shanghai parade. This parade began in the late 19th century, although formal organization of the event did not begin until the mid-twentieth century. The name “Shanghai” is not derived from the Chinese city but rather the act of causing chaos or “Shanghaiing.” Early in the parade’s history, individuals would dress in costumes to ring in the new year. Lewisburg is not the only place that hosts a Shanghai parade- towns in Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania also host similar events. More information about the Lewisburg Shanghai parade can be found here.
Shanghai parade
Both Helvetia and Lewisburg include costumes in their events. Costumes allow a person to take on an identity other than their own- during winter, this could be a way to bring fun and joy into someone’s life. This seems to be the case in Lewisburg, where pop culture often inspires costumes. Costumes can mask someone’s identity, making it easier to participate in mischievous antics. However, Helvetia's costumes have a specific purpose: to scare off Old Man Winter. Even though the costumes in both events have different purposes, both are ways for people to bring more light into their community.
Learn more about Fasnacht, Shanghai, and other winter masking traditions in West Virginia by watching the film Signs, Cures, and Witchery or reading the book of the same name.
