Carnival
Carnival is Cologne's "fifth season". It is world famous as a festive, colourful mass party that draws over a million visitors to the city every year.
"Jedem Jeck sing Pappnas"
is the motto of the 2011/2012 session in the Cologne dialect, offering plenty of leeway for carnival interpretations.
The highlight of the Cologne Carnival is Rose Monday. The huge official parade featuring splendidly decorated floats weaves its way through the Rhenish city. Hundreds of thousands of singing, dancing people from around the globe, many of them in fancy dress, line the streets, and they are showered with sweets and small bunches of flowers.
Essential dates 2012
The Carnival or "Cologne's fith season", begins on November 11th at 11:11 a.m. But the real "crazy days" do not start before the so-called Weiberfastnacht (Shrove Thursday), the Thursday before Rosenmontag (Carnival Monday).
Women's Carnival day (Weiberfastnacht)
Thursday, 16th February 2012
Carnival Monday (Rose Monday)
Monday, 20th February 2012
Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday, 21st February 2012
Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch)Wednesday, 22nd February 2012
Further informations
Carnival and alcohol?
Excessive drinking causes concern among parents
More fun without glass
Glass-free zones during Carnival
