The Best Time To Experience Fasching In Cologne

Cologne is the hub of Carnival celebrations in Germany, attracting over 2 million people per year. The Carnival in Cologne, known as 'Karneval' in German, is a week-long party leading up to Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lent season. The festivities include street parades, people dressing up in costumes and masks, and partying in bars and streets all over the city. The Carnival season, also known as the Fifth Season, officially begins at 11:11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year and finishes on Ash Wednesday. The main festivities happen around Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), the day before Shrove Tuesday.

Fasching/Karneval in Cologne is the largest celebration of its kind in Germany

Fasching, or Karneval as it is known in German, is a traditional German celebration held before Lent. It is celebrated in all German-speaking countries, but Germany holds the largest and most vibrant carnivals. The city of Cologne (Köln) probably holds one of the biggest Fasching celebrations in the country, if not the biggest.

Cologne is the undisputed hub of Fasching/Karneval celebrations in Germany. The festival attracts over 2 million people per year, making it the largest Karneval celebration in all of Germany. It is the single most important festival in Cologne, and the city is a stronghold of the Karneval tradition. The Carnival spirit runs deep in the blood of the people of Cologne, and the whole city comes alive with enthusiasm as Karneval approaches.

The origins of Fasching/Karneval can be traced back to pre-Roman times, and even further back to Pagan times before Christianity. People would wear masks and costumes to avoid punishment and persecution, as they mocked the strict rulers of the day. The festival also has roots in the exorcism of winter, with rituals to drive out the ghosts of darkness and welcome spring.

The official beginning of the Fasching/Karneval season in Cologne is marked on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year. This is known as the "Fifth Season", and the festivities continue until Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent). The high point of the celebration is a 5-day stretch from Silly Thursday (the Thursday before Lent) to Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday.

During Fasching/Karneval, the people of Cologne come together to have fun, celebrate, and meet new people. There are street parades, people dressing up in costumes and masks, and partying in bars and in the streets all over the city. The most important tradition of Carnival in Cologne is cheering. Throughout the festivities, you’ll hear people shout “Kölle Alaaf!”, which translates as ‘Cologne Above All Else’. This is the unofficial Karneval slogan, and it is a simple way to declare one’s love for the city.

The Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival) is the unofficial 'start' of the Karneval street celebrations. Women gather in small groups and wander around the city cutting the neckties of any men they come across. When the men oblige, they are rewarded with a kiss on the cheek. On Rosenmontag (Rose Monday or Shrove Monday), more than 1 million people come into the city to celebrate. Marching bands, dancers, and floats stroll through an 8km route of Cologne’s historic old city. Over 200 floats, wagons, trailers and cars partake in the parade, with approximately 13,000 people marching along. The celebrations come to an end on Veilchendienstag (Shrove Tuesday) with the ceremonial burning of a straw figure, known as the Nubbelverbrennung.

The festival is also known as the Fifth Season

Fasching, also known as Karneval in Cologne, is a carnival celebrated in German-speaking countries. The festival is also known as the "Fifth Season" and is considered to be one of the biggest carnival celebrations in the world, with over a million people in attendance. The "fifth season" is declared open at 11:11 am on the 11th of November, and the festivities continue until Ash Wednesday. The Carnival spirit is temporarily suspended during the Advent and Christmas period and picks up again after Epiphany in the New Year.

The origins of Fasching can be traced back to pagan times. It started as a festival to drive out the ghosts of winter and to celebrate the arrival of spring. People would wear horrifying face masks to scare away the ghosts of winter and make lots of noise to avoid their revenge. It was also a festival to honour the Goddess Freya and celebrate fertility.

When Christianity arrived in Germany, the Catholic Church adapted this festival to mark the beginning of Lent, a time of reflection and abstinence before Easter. The term "carnival" comes from the Latin "carne vale", meaning "farewell to meat", as people would abstain from eating meat during Lent.

The Carnival in Cologne is a time of merrymaking, with street parades, balls, stage shows, and an abundance of Kölsch, the local beer. The typical greeting during the festival is "Kölle Alaaf!", a Kölsch phrase that loosely translates to "Cologne above everything else". The festival also has three main characters: the Prince, the Peasant, and the Virgin, who lead the main parades. The Prince, also called "Seine Tollität" (His Madness), is the most important personage of the carnival. The Peasant, or "Seine Deftigkeit" (His Heftyness), symbolises the boldness of the old privileged imperial city of Cologne. The Virgin, or "Ihre Lieblichkeit" (Her Loveliness), symbolises the patronising mother Colonia and is traditionally played by a man.

The highlight of the carnival is Rose Monday, two days before Ash Wednesday, with a large parade featuring floats, marching bands, and dancers. The carnival traditionally ends with the burning of the Nubbel, a straw doll that is ceremoniously carried to the grave and burned on the night of Ash Wednesday as a ceremonial offering for the people's sins.

It is a time for merrymaking, parades, costumes, masked balls and street parties

Fasching, also known as Karneval in Cologne, is a time for celebration and merrymaking. The festival is marked by parades, costumes, masked balls and street parties.

The carnival is a week-long celebration, commencing on the Thursday before Lent, known as Silly Thursday or Weiberfastnacht, and ending on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The Thursday is a day of celebration for women, who wander the city in small groups, cutting the ties of any men they encounter. In return, the men receive a kiss on the cheek. This day also marks the beginning of the "female presence in carnival", which was established in 1824 when washerwomen celebrated a "workless day" before carnival.

The street parties and parades are a key part of the festival. The largest parade takes place on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), with over 200 floats, wagons, trailers and cars, and approximately 13,000 people in attendance. The floats often depict current political and social themes in a joking or satirical way. The parades also feature marching bands and dancers, and it is tradition to throw candy, especially kamelle (caramels), to the crowds.

The masked balls and costumes are another important element of Fasching. The costumes vary from simple wigs or hats to elaborate, handmade group costumes. The most common costume is a jecke, or clown. Red and white are the colours of Cologne, so many people wear red and white striped clothing.

The masked balls are a tradition that dates back to the early 13th century, when the festival originated in the cities of Mainz and Speyer. It is a time when the rules and order of daily life are subverted, and the keys of the city may be handed over to a council of fools, or women are ceremoniously put in charge.

The origins of Fasching/Karneval in Cologne can be traced back to the early 13th century

Fasching, or Karneval as it is known in Cologne, is a festival that can be traced back to the early 13th century. It originated in the German cities of Mainz and Speyer and by 1234, it had become established in Cologne. The festival has its roots in the pre-Lenten season, marking the period before the start of Lent, a 40-day fasting period.

The early origins of Fasching are mentioned in Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival", a medieval romance from the early 13th century. The festival has evolved over the centuries and is known for its extravagant and frivolous traditions. One such tradition includes handing over the keys of the city to a council of fools, or ceremoniously letting women rule for a day. This is known as Weiberfastnacht or Women's Carnival, where women parade the streets in costumes and play harmless pranks, such as cutting off men's ties.

Fasching is also associated with noisy parades, masked balls, satirical plays, and excessive behaviour. The days before Lent were seen as an opportunity to indulge in feasting and merrymaking before the period of abstinence. The word "Karneval" itself comes from the Latin "carne vale", meaning "farewell to meat". This tradition of bidding farewell to meat before Lent is also reflected in the early monks' brewing of Starkbier, a potent beer to sustain them during their fast when they were not allowed to eat.

The Carnival season officially begins at 11:11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month, i.e. November 11th. However, the festivities don't really pick up until the week before Ash Wednesday, with the main celebrations taking place on Rose Monday and Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is considered the height of Fasching celebrations, with parades and parties taking place all over the world, although it is celebrated on a smaller scale in Germany compared to other countries.

The festival is a time for unique traditions, including the Dreigestirn and Kölle Alaaf

Fasching is the German name for the pre-Lenten carnival celebrations held across the country. The festival is known as Karneval in Cologne, where the festivities are the most elaborate. The carnival season officially begins at 11:11 am on 11 November, but the merrymaking in the streets starts in earnest on the Thursday before Lent, known as Fat Thursday or Weiberfastnacht.

The highlight of the carnival is Rose Monday (Rosenmontag), two days before Ash Wednesday. This is when the large parade featuring the prince's float takes place. The carnival officially ends with the burning of the Nubbel, a straw doll that hangs above many pubs, on the night of Ash Wednesday.

The carnival season is a time of parades, elaborate costumes, masked balls, and street parties. It is a period of excess and merrymaking before the start of Lent, a Christian period of reflection and abstinence.

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