Carnival is that event in the Rhineland here in Germany! In Koblenz, too.
If you come to Koblenz near Cologne, the stronghold of Carnival, you have
to know, what this event is – so here you have a lot of facts:
What is
Carnival?
The Carnival week begins on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday with
parades being held during the weekend and finishes on Ash Wednesday, with the
main festivities occurring around Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). This time is also
called the "Fifth Season." Shrove Tuesday is celebrated in certain
cities.
In German-speaking countries, two distinct varieties
of Carnivals are held. The Carnival in the Rhine area is held in the west of
Germany, mainly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate,
and is famous for celebrations such as parades and costume balls. Cologne
Carnival is the largest and most famous. On Carnival Thursday (called "Old
Women Day"), in commemoration of an 1824 revolt by washer-women, women
storm city halls, cut men's ties, and are allowed to kiss any man who passes
their way.http://www.koelnerkarneval.de/fk-termine-vorschau.html
When begins the 5th season? : 11.11. at 11.11 AM
This date is very important for the German carnival,
because it opens the 5th season.
Thousands of visitors from all over the world travel
to cologne, only to be a part of this big party.
It begins of course at 11.11 am and ends in the late
night.
All of cologne goes wild and celebrates this date in
crazy costumes, with a lot of “kölsch”
and sings many songs with the live bands, who plays at the stages, which are
located all over the city.
So here you can see, what I mean, especially with
“cologne goes wild”:
What´s the important days of carnival?
Fat Thursday
Fat Thursday „Weiberfastnacht“ is an unofficial
holiday in Germany especially in Rhineland. The work at the majority of
workplaces ends at noon. It is the last Thursday before Lent starts until
Easter and it is also the start of the carnival days in February. The
celebration with costumes begins at 11.11 am. Traditionally women conquer the
town hall. It is a symbol that they get the control of the city. It is also a
custom on this day that women cut off men’s ties which are seen as a symbol of
men`s power. Men wear the stumps of their ties and get a „Bützchen“ (little
kiss) as compensation.
Rose Monday
This day is the highlight of the Carneval. Most of the
schools in Rhineland are closed. Today are the most parades in the cities.
Everyone is fancy costumes and celebrate on the street. The people in the
parade throw sweets, called „Kamelle“, into the crowds lining the streets.
Shrove
Tuesday:
Shrove Tuesday is also called Violet Tuesday, but internationally it is
also known as Pancake Tuesday or Mardi Gras. This day is the end of carnival.
There are many different rituals to finish the carnival. In some parts of
Germany the people “bury” the carnival.
Ash
Wednesday:
Ash Wednesday is the end of carnival and the first day of Lent and takes
40 days and ends on Easter Sunday. The date of Ash Wednesday changes, because
it is dependent on the date of Easter which also depends on the moon. An
important ritual on Ash Wednesday is the cross of ash for Catholic people. The
priest draws an ash cross on the foreheads of the faithful as a symbol, it is
the sign for expiation.
What is in the time between 11.11. and February?
Organization
An organizer and carnival-society create
different events in our city and they organize a big room for the event. The
carnival-society backed the organizers and plan carnival with them. They decide
whether the event is big or small and they sell tickets to their shows in the
city and promote them with posters.
The event process
Many dance groups from different
carnival-societies, dance on the stage and the people have a lot of fun on this
day. People wear different costumes.
But the flashpoint of the event is the
carnival-princess and the carnival-prince. They go with your carnival-society on stage and give a speech in the end.
What have “Prince and princess” and “the 3 people” concerned with
carneval?
Along the Rhine every town has a "Prinz" and
a "Prinzessin" (prince and princess) who command a uniformed guard,
the "Prinzengarde" (prince's garde) or 3 people, called “the
Dreigestirn”.
Their “Hofstaat” (royal followers) consists of the
”Hofdame” “court lady”, the “Schatzmeister” (treasurer), the “Mundschenk”
(cupbearer) and the “Hofnarr” (jester).
Here you can see an example of this group:
The Dreigestirn (three Stars) is the Carnival Prince
(known as Seine Tollität, ‘His Craziness’), the Bauer (peasant) and the Jungfrau (virgin). The Jungfrau has always
been a man.
Here you can see an example of this group, too:
These people are the representative heads of the
particular season, they change every single year.
The important duty of these heads is to lead the big
procession at rosemonday.
From where you get the best costumes, if you want to celebrate carnival
with us?
The people can buy many different costumes for
carnival. The shop „Karnevalwierts" just have costumes for carnival. The
costumes are very different and the people can buy expensive costumes for
children and adults. The example for costumes:
Indian Woman Pirate
