Eisen Carnival

Beginning on April 1st and running through the first week of April, Carnival as it's colloquially known, celebrates the founding of Eisen as it's own country after it's separation from Patlov a few centuries prior.
A week long festival, the week is dominated by mask wearing and costumes - the more outlandish and extravagant the better, masked balls, parades, and feasting.

Masks

Adopting a tradition from Vodacce to the south, masks are popular and worn commonly throughout Carnival week. Extravagant costumes and masks are commonplace in the city at the time, lending back to a tradition of masks being worn to conceal identities during political speeches in the Eisen and Patlovian separation.  Masked balls are also popular in this week as a result.  Even the lower classes often don less elaborate versions as part of the celebration and stalls of mask-makers pop up throughout the city.

Music and Parades

There is a strong emphasis on comedy, parades, and performance in the week. While traditional Eisen songs are beloved, the Bardic Guild uses this week to often perform satire, comedy, and more satirical work as well, hidden beneath the guise of masks and the once political origin of the holiday.
Parades are held almost daily through the center of the city featuring floats from various guilds and shops and even communities that band together to put on a float. Floats and parade appearances are almost spontaneous in nature with the citizenry of Novandria often joining in on a whim. You are as likely to see the 32 block of beer drinkers from the south ward marching in song as you are a float from the Herbalists guild.

Feasting

As one of the weeks leading into the break of spring and a celebration of national founding, large dinners and feasts are also common this week for all classes. 

Specific Days

Rose Monday - Rosenmontag

The first Monday of Carnival closes most of the city and the most spectacular parades occur this day. Everyone comes out in what finery they can afford to watch the parades, street performances, and celebrate the beauty of Spring and the proud formation of their own country.  Roses and flowers are often worn in the hair, as circlets, or in buttoners. Rose Monday is considered the favored day of the nobility in Novandria

Thursday - Altweiber (Old women day)

Celebrates the aged women of Eisen. A somewhat peculiar holdover from when washer-women celebrated a "workless day" on the Thursday before carnival. The working women of Novandria founded a committee in 1724 to strengthen their presence in the still male-dominated carnival celebrations. On Thursday, a woman in black storms the city hall to get the "key" for the city-/townhalls from its mayor and many of the parades are themed around women or elderly women. Another tradition is that women are allowed to ask for a polite kiss every man who passes their way (typically to the hand).  Carnival Thursday has turned into a celebration of the working class.

Fool Friday 

While not a specific celebration, many noble houses use this as a gift day for their staff. This is a common day to let the staff have "off" for their own carnival celebrations. Some house holds hold a "topsy turvy" dinner or "feast of fools" where in the staff gets to have a large meal together.

Primary Related Location

Novandria, Eisen