F A S L A M

What the heck is Faslam?

Faslam is an annual traditional that is only celebrated in the north of the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. Tell people in other parts of Lower Saxony or nearby Hamburg about Faslam and they would have never heard about it. It goes back over 100 years, when the servants of the farmers would face boredom due the harsh winter conditions and lack of things to do. At a time where there was no TV or Netflix, people were looking for a way to entertain themselves. They would gather eggs and drinks from the entire village to then celebrate together over multiple nights. Traditionally, Faslam is celebrated from Friday to Monday. The highlight for the Faslam Brothers and Sisters is the big Parade Day as well as aiming for the first place and Trophy for the most creative theme idea, costumes and overall party vibes. Each village has its own Faslam Club and they would often take part in each others events in solidarity. Growing up in small villages in Lower Saxony you either go help out at the local fire department or you go participate in Faslam. Many of the Club Members have been involved since their early childhood and it is not uncommon to see whole families involved in club activities. Even though the public only gets to see the big parade, there is a lot going on behind the scenes that has a much bigger impact on the members themselves. Several month of preparations and meetings at local farmers yards create strong bonds between locals and it is this time that Faslam people treasure the most. This is a long term project that wants to explore the culture of Faslam and the people behind it to give a glimpse into a little known tradition that is happening right at my doorstep. I started documenting Faslam out of my own curiosity and with the wish to give something back to the people that are my neighbours. If eventually a Book develops out of this project, then that would be great but my first motivation is to learn, experience and give back what I can by documenting this community with my own point of view. I look forward to see how I am going to look at Faslam in the next 5-7 years. I either become an alcoholic or make new lifelong friendships. Or both. We will see...

Faslam has a long history. Source: www.faslamsbrueder-stoeckte.de

Images taken between 2023 ~ 2024

Copyright: Samuel Lintaro Hopf