Fasnacht in Helvetia, West Virginia
Runtime: 12:22For 58 years, the small town of Helvetia, West Virginia, has held an annual Fasnacht — or “fasting night” — celebration to mark the end of winter. This event can be traced back to the mid-20th century, when Swiss immigrants began hosting the celebration to feel more connected to their culture after settling in the Appalachian mountains. Helvetia’s version of the event combines expected Fasnacht conventions with those of Sechseläuten, another end-of-winter holiday celebrated annually in Zürich. Participants eat traditional Swiss snacks, enjoy live Swiss and Appalachian tunes, wear homemade masks, square dance, and scare off Old Man Winter, who is burnt in effigy during the final moments of the
Director - P. Nick Curran, Griffin D. McMorrow
P. Nick Curran is a filmmaker and the director of video at 100 Days in Appalachia. Griffin D. McMorrow is a reporter and a video producer at 100 Days in Appalachia. They both live in Morgantown, WV.
