COLOGNE'S CRAZY DAYS CARNIVAL FESTIVAL
Costume Parties, Kisses and Scissors
Cologne Carneval 2018 - Feb 8-13
The
Crazy Days are coming in February. Karneval in the Rhineland. Fasthacht
near Mainz for pre-Lent eve fasting. Fasnet in Wurttemburg and western
Bavaria and Fasching around Munich
and the Tyrol (see Munich
Strong Beer Festival - March Parties). Officially the carnival
period leading to the big festivals before Lent begins in November (the
11th
at 11:11am to be precise) and carries on in until the Crazy Days (Tolle
Tage) three days which climax on the Monday 42 days
before Easter. The German version of Mardi Gras, Karneval is a chance
for Germans
to
party
and
go wild before Ash Wednesday. But where Fat Tuesday is
the
big day at Mardi Gras, in Germany it's Rose Monday.Rose Monday- Rosenmontag
The Karnival is a tradition
more of western Germany much less so in north and east.
The Karnival tradition
goes back to pagan times when the old
ways
needed
an outlet before the fasting of Lent and the Crazy Days are a chance
for people to go wild before
making up for sins and mistakes on Ash Wednesday. The holidays
are celebrated
with varying local customs in the different regions.
Find the best hotel deals in Cologne
(Koln)
Probably
the biggest and wildest Karneval is in Cologne (Köln) the “Karnival
am Rhein”, mostly a variety of parties in the streets and
bars of the city, with revelers in odd costumes like a springtime
Halloween.
Rosenmontag is the height of the costume madness and anyone not
wearing some wild attire or a painted face risks standing out in
the crowd.
The first the Cologne Karnival dates from the medieval
period of 1341. Tradition in Köln has the Dreigestirn
(Three Stars): the Carnival Prince (the Seine Tollität
better known as ‘His
Craziness’), the Bauer (peasant) and the Jungfrau (virgin).
The Jungfrau has traditionally always been a man in woman’s
costume. Cologne has 105 carnival associations and each elects
their Dreigestirn
representatives for the festival.
Cologne’s Carneval clubs decorate the floats for the
Rose Monday parade where like New Orleans Mardi Gras the
costumed revelers toss
sweets (rather than beads) to the crowds as they sing the
many old Karneval
songs. The Mariechen, acrobatic dancing troupes of girls
entertain the crowds as part of the parade. During the parade
the Carnival
Prince passes
on his horse with his bodyguard in early 19th Century uniforms.
Womens Carnival Day - Weiberfastnacht - Thursday
If the Carnival’s
Jungfrau virgin is a man in drag, the women get their revenge on
Weiberfastnacht (Women’s Carnival Night) when
they can cut the tie off any man they can reach and kiss any guy they
feel like. This is the day when you can experience the Carnival in its
most traditional form. Early in the morning, the streets are filled with
girls in costume on their way to the office or shopping, and from
10.00 a.m. they all head towards the Alter Markt, where at 11.11
a.m. the street
Carnival is officially opened. At 15.00 (3 p.m.), the Carnival play: "Jan
un Griet" begins at
the Severinstor in the Südstadt. At night parties and masked
balls. If you meet a girl in a bar or party after a few stiff
drinks, if she comes at you with
pursed lips take the Butzie (festival kiss) as it comes. But if she targets
you with a pair of scissors just hope its your tie they go for.
The
Cologne Tourist Bureau publishes a brochure with the dates of all the
parties and parades the "Sitzungen", ranging from elegant
to "alternative". Its probably wise to get tickets in advance
for parade grandstands or festival parties which sell out. And be prepared
for some of the parties can exact a hefty entrance price. There are no
limits to the imagination for costumes and the motto is: the brighter
the better. Carnival costumes don't have to be extravagant, just show
you in the spirit of the festivities. For parties and other indoor events,
lighter costumes are recommended while out on the street in the weather,
some warmer layers are probably a good idea.
If
you don’t
have time to plan a costume, celebrators who come last minute can find
masks,
costumes and make-up in many department stores in the city like H&M.
For all seasons Karnival costumes can be found all year-round at Dieters
on Max-Planck Str. 34, but don't bring your camera, they don't like pictures
(like this). As a last resort, if you don't want to buy a costume, just
stick on a
red
paper
nose. Tourists
can stop
at
the
Tourism
Office
located across from the city’s famous gothic cathedral for event
information and hotel availabilities. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Web Info
Cologne Karnival
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SEE ALSO:
AIR
BERLIN TO DUSSELDORF
DUSSELDORF - Biggest Little Village on the Rhine
OKTOBERFEST
MUNICH
NEUSCHWANSTEIN
KING'S FANTASY CASTLE
COLOGNE TO HAMBURG BY NIGHT SLEEPER
