Written by Lyndon LeUnes
Karneval, or Germany's fifth season starts on November 11th at 11:11am. On this day, in mainly roman catholic regions of Germany, the festival and party season begins. Many festivals around Germany are held that day, but the most popular areas for Karneval celebrations are in the states on the West side of Germany, North Rhine Westphalia and Rhine Palatinate. Cologne has the biggest celebration for Karneval where thousands of people come together to celebrate the opening of the great season.
The season comes to an end on Ash Wednesday in February. Germans love their Karneval time of year and wouldn't want to let it end without a bang. The last week of the season starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, and during this time celebrating is the only thing on many Germans minds. That week on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, many businesses and schools close down in the Rhineland and other places in Germany. There are a few parades that occur over the week, and many old traditions are also continued during the last 7 days of Karneval. For example, a very famous custom happens on the Thursday of that week called Womens Day. On this day, women run the show. They are allowed to cut the ties of men and also kiss any man that they would like to. This is celebrated because of the 1824 washer women revolt. Many other customs and traditions are celebrated that week which creates a great environment for everyone involved.
It was a great experience for me and the students that I traveled to Cologne with on November 11th. We didn't know exactly what to expect before we arrived. We pulled up on our train from Bonn all wearing costumes ranging from a banana to a polar bear. After getting off the train we realized a banana and polar bear weren't even close to the strangest costumes. To be in the middle of a huge town square with thousands of people in costumes watching live Karneval music being played on stage was a wild adventure. I can only imagine how fun the main celebration is in February and recommend to anyone who can experience this celebration, to do so.
