Eps 1680: Carnival in Cologne is near
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Ronnie Rodriguez
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The world-famous Cologne Carnival is not to be missed! It is organized by the Festkomitee Kölner Karneval and it runs for five days leading up to Ash Wednesday. It's Germany's fourth largest city and it puts on a wonderful unhinged booze-up, with parades, balls, stage shows and parties in the streets. The celebration committee is known as Kolsche Karneval and its activities include sitzungen which are humorous events with music and dance. Fastelovend is an old German tradition of Carnival which has been celebrated in Germany since the Middle Ages.
The main event is the Carnival in Cologne which takes place near the beginning of Lent. It begins with a series of processions following a carnival parade filled with carnival groups and opened street carnival. The three main carnival figures are the Prince, Peasant and Virgin, who lead deep seated street parades, balls and stage shows. The parades and balls take place in the city's streets as well as at several smaller processions that take place in the city's suburbs.
The Cologne Carnival is one of Europe's largest street festivals and one of the most celebrated events in Germany. It is celebrated over two weeks, from Carnival Sunday to Ash Wednesday, with numerous parades. The centrepiece of the carnival is the Rose Monday Parade, which takes place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and features a colourful parade of floats and marching bands. In addition to this there are several smaller parades known as neighbourhood parades or ghost parades that take place in the city's neighbourhoods and schools. On carnival Sunday all Cologne schools also have their own processions. During these festivities all Cologne residents dress up in traditional carnival attire. The und stadtteilzuge, or city district processions, take place on Tuesday morning with each district taking their turn to parade through the streets accompanied by clubs and children dressed up in costumes.
Cologne's world-famous Carnival is a festival of street parades, beer parades and dressing up. The city is filled with special cologne costume shops, where locals can buy their costumes and join in the festivities. Big department stores also offer a wide range of costumes year round. The mayor even joins in the dress ups, joining everyone else as they dance down the streets of Cologne to celebrate this annual event. Every year thousands of people from all over Europe and even from around the world come to join in on the fun.
Germany declares Carnival, or the fifth season, and Cologne is one of the cities that takes Carnival fever to a whole new level with its six-day extravaganza. The entire city comes alive with uninterrupted parades and festival sessions, cultural gatherings, balls and music sessions that take over the city for days. It is a time of festive chaos as people join in with parades and dances that fill the streets for days. People enjoy this 'Crazy Days' of parades, costumes, music and parties throughout the weeks leading up to Lent.
The Main Cologne Carnival is one of the largest and most renowned festivals in the world, with over a million rise carnival goers each year. It begins on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and lasts for 6 days. The official parade is on Rose Monday, but there are many other events taking place throughout the city's during this time such as Weiberfastnacht and Rosenmontag . The main event of the carnival is known as 'The Dreigestirn' which includes three carnival figures - a Prince, a Peasant and a Virgin - who lead the procession through the streets of Cologne on Thursday February 11th. It is an electrifying atmosphere with people dressed in traditional costumes dancing and celebrating until dawn. The Crazy Days end with Ash Wednesday when all activities come to an end and Lent begins.
The Carnival season in Cologne takes place from Weiberfastnacht until Ash Wednesday. The highlight of the Crazy Days is the street carnival and the large community dinners which take place on Fat Thursday. The cultural street festival, called Street Carnival, is also a major highlight of this week and takes place on all days during the Carnival season in Cologne.
The Carnival in Cologne is part of the so-called Triumvirate Carnivals, together with the carnivals in Mainz and Düsseldorf. The Koelner Carnival is one of the most famous carnivals in Germany and starts its festivities on the 11th month, which is November. It officially kicks off its festivities on the 11th day of November when the Carnival figurehead prince takes center stage for a grand opening ceremony. This ceremony takes place in front of thousands of people alongside various performances, dazzling makeup and sequins that make up this grand opening ceremony. Three figures are known as Dreigestirn or triumvirate – they are usually related to each other and represent the end of advent and christmas holidays. After taking party planners, it takes just over two months until February to come around and finish up all festive activities before having a break until November again when it all starts again! The final day of Koelner Carnival is usually celebrated with a huge public parade that showcases colorful floats while dancers perform along them wearing elaborate costumes with makeup and sequins - it's definitely something you don't want to miss!
But the city of Cologne offers many autonomous carnival events throughout the year, with official carnival Sitzungen that include political satire and comedy. From traditional conservative carnival events to gay bars and sauna nights, there is something for everyone who wants to experience the full Carnival in Cologne. According to the official Cologne tourism site, there are plenty of different pubs and clubs in Cologne that offer a range of parties and activities to suit all tastes - including several circuit parties hosted by local communities, clubs and bars.
The city has some fantastic restaurants and bars in the Belgian Quarter, which is within easy walking distance of the central carnival party zones. There are also several great spots for sleepers, so those who struggle to stay up all night can take part in the morning after.