Take a look at this picture.
You will notice 1. Cookies and fresh pretzels hanging around our necks and 2. a smudge on the children's noses. It is tradition that in the parade, people throw the pretzels and cookies out to the audience. The cookies are a gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen) shaped like a heart (herz) therefore they are called Lebkuchenherz. They say things like "Greetings from Munchen!".
Daphne bought some Lebkuchenherz for the grandmothers and Lisa K. as gifts on Saturday. When we went to the parade on Sunday, George ate the cookies off the counter. Daphne was sooo angry.
We got two more from the parade on Sunday and Daphne put them on display in the apartment.
Believe it or not - George ate the new ones while Daph and I were at the Hard Rock. Anyone want a dog?
Issue #2 - the smudge. During the parade, court jesters, roam the parade and approach children and smudge them in the face with black grease. This comes from the 1500s during a very bleak time, when these people encouraged a depressed Munich population to find a way to have fun. It's pretty cruel - all the adults laugh while a guy smudges a cute little, unsuspecting kid's face.
David left it on his face both days. Julia didn't find it funny.
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