For 58 years, the small town of Helvetia, West Virginia has held an annual Fasnacht celebration to mark the end of winter. 

While the name “Fasnacht” comes from the German for “fasting night”, Fasnacht as a pre-Lenten celebration dates back to 1520’s Switzerland. Traditionally, the occasion includes the consumption of fatty foods and a masquerade. 

The Helvetian Fasnacht can be traced back to the mid-20th century, when Swiss immigrants began hosting the celebration to feel…