NicoleB Photography

Last year I have been in Germany at the right time for the Carnival (Karneval).
A big thing in the Rhine region and they try to do it in other Parts as well.
But the Cologne region is the Best and the Eifel (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), that’s where I have been.
In my hometown in Mayen.
It usually is freezing cold and I have no clue why people go there every year, just to be sick for the week after. Many of them have very - uh - summerlike outfits and sure will be sick. But that’s the price they are willing to pay .

People prepare for this almost all year long.
Making their Costumes and building their vehicles.
The official Season for Carnival starts at the 11.th of November at 11.11 a.m. and people storm the Mayors office and get the town key. They give it back after Carnival is over in February.
In January is the time where public “meetings” (Kappensitzungen) start.
There will be speeches, funny ones, slated with political hints, dancing in costumes, comedy, etc.
The week before Lent (Christian Catholic time of fasting), usually in February, the real Carnival begins with the Parades through the villages.
The wagons and costumes come to use.
It starts with “Schwerdonnerstag” (Heavy Thursday?) also called “Weiberfastnacht", the day that belongs to the women. You better don’t wear a tie that day.
The parades are usually starting on that day and go all the way to “Aschermittwoch” (Ash Wednesday), the officially last day of carnival.
The bigger towns mostly have their parade on “Rosenmontag” (Rose Monday) and it ends with the last wagon, the Prince, going all the way to the Mayor’s office and handing back the town key.
Along the way the parades give away sweets to the kids.

More about the tradition of Carnival, which are mainly forgotten, I think, can be found on Wikipedia

This one was on Sunday 18th of Febr. 2007 in Hausen

And these were from “Rosenmontag” 19th of Febr. 2007 in Mayen

The Prince - he’s usually the last one in the Parade

I have a lot more pictures but I don’t want to bore you, besides I have quite a few things still on my list, sigh