The Germans call these days "the Fifth season of the year", so brightly and expressively they pass in one of the largest cities in Germany. The tradition of carnivals in Cologne began in 1823 and since then, every February the city's streets are filled with colorful crowds wishing to say goodbye to the fun on the eve of Lent.
Prelude, or 4 to 11
Carnival begins in Cologne long before the onset of the February festive week. The carnival prelude starts on the 11th of the 11th month at 11.11, and from that moment the four-month countdown begins. During this time, the organizers of the festivities will have to come up with the slogan of the carnival, choose the performers of the main characters and compose a song, to the sounds of which the elegant participants will pass in orderly rows in the main procession.
In November, the first mummers appear on the streets. They have to rock the audience, prepare it for the main action and attract as many participants as possible to their carnival side.
Holiday Schedule
The carnival in Cologne officially starts on Babiy Thursday at Alter Square. All its potential participants on this day come to the service in carnival costumes, so that at 11 hours 11 minutes they go to the city hall and take it by storm. Men, according to tradition, avoid ties on Babiy Thursday, because the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity have the right to cut them off with scissors.
The further carnival schedule looks like this:
- On Friday, Alter Markt hosts a march of regional city associations - a kind of show of amateur art activities.
- On Saturday begins the Procession of Spirits and Ghosts, puzzled by a special mission. They have to drive away winter and give way to spring. In pubs and bars, conscientious citizens support the magical evil spirits with increased consumption of alcohol.
- On Sundays, each city district has its own small carnivals, the main participants of which are schoolchildren.
The holiday reaches its climax on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of spectators gather to see the main carnival procession. Its heroes are the Virgo, the Peasant and the Prince, accompanied by luxuriously decorated carts, musicians, dancers, horses and others who mingled in a single motley crowd.
The fun ends with Violet Tuesday, and Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and the carnival in Cologne dies down until the moment when the number 11 again coincides four times on the clocks and calendars of the townspeople.
Details of the carnival can be found on the website www.koelnerkarneval.de
