likeafieldmouse:

Axel Hoedt - Fastnacht (2010)

“A document of the famous ‘Fastnacht Festival’, which literally translates to ‘the night before fasting’, is a festival celebrated throughout Austria and Switzerland too. The annual adornment of masks that are inherently frightening and grotesque stems from the aim of chasing away ‘the spirits of winter away in preparation for the coming spring and new harvest’. The carnival-like festivities stem from both Christian and Pagan traditions.”