Final Farewell in Dusseldorf: The Hoppeditz's Burning
In the heart of Düsseldorf, the Ibach Hall of the City Museum was filled to capacity on Wednesday, February 22nd, as mourners gathered to bid a solemn farewell to Hoppeditz, the traditional jester figure deeply rooted in the city's Carnival culture.
The grand mourning session was organised by the Düsseldorf Home Association, the Spiesratze, and the Narrencollegium, who carried Hoppeditz to his grave during a traditionally sombre ceremony. Helga Hesemann, the chairwoman of the Home Association, welcomed the mourners, setting the tone for the emotional event.
Hoppeditz, a symbolic fool figure central to Düsseldorf's Carnival, awakens each year on November 11, heralding the carnival season start. At the end of the season, on Fat Tuesday at midnight, he is ritually burned or buried, marking the season’s end. This cycle reflects a deeper cultural tradition of fun, social satire, and regional identity specific to Düsseldorf and its dialect.
As the ceremonial pyre was lit, loud wailing echoed out as carnival-goers bid farewell to Hoppeditz. Mourners had eyes only for Hoppeditz during the burial, and Susanne Anna, Museum Director, spoke with a choked voice. Pastor Ursula Verhofen spoke the final words at the event, offering comfort to those gathered.
A spark set Hoppeditz ablaze during the burial, and he burned brightly, leaving mourning widows behind. Optimism was already returning for the return of Hoppeditz in nine months, on the Eleventh of the Eleventh, 2023. Crocuses were blooming on the lawn where Hoppeditz was buried, a symbol of new life and the promise of brighter days ahead.
Following the burial, guests gathered at Café Ey of the City Museum for a wake with fish, a traditional post-funeral meal in Düsseldorf. As the evening drew to a close, final touching words and speculations about Hoppeditz's sudden death were shared, keeping alive the memory of this cherished Carnival figure.
[1] Hoppeditz awakens ceremonially on November 11 at 11:11 a.m., signalling the official opening of the carnival season in Düsseldorf. [2] The fifth season of the carnival is now officially over. [3] On Fat Tuesday at midnight, Hoppeditz is ceremonially "buried" or burned, symbolizing the end of the carnival festivities and the beginning of the more somber season of Lent. [4] The burning or burial serves as a metaphorical closure of the carnival’s license for humor, mischief, and critique, as Hoppeditz embodies the carnival spirit of irreverence and local tradition.
Hoppeditz's burial marked the end of the fifth season of Düsseldorf's home-and-garden tradition, heralding the transition from the lively carnival lifestyle to a more tranquil home-and-garden-oriented season. In anticipation of next year's awakening of Hoppeditz on November 11, gardeners are currently tending to their blooming crocuses as a symbol of new life and the promise of brighter days ahead.
