Crazy Days in Germany - Altweiberfastnacht

Once again, everybody could sin unpunished for a few days in Germany. Although Carnival already starts on November 11th at 11.11 a.m. the “Crazy Days” start on Thursday with the “Altweiberfastnacht”.

Pirates, clowns, witches, fairies, princesses and kings, Charlie Chaplin and many more historic people strolled through the cities. Whether you’ve been to the Rhineland or the East, the cities or the villages, everywhere the people, young and old, big and small, where dancing, laughing, eating tidbits and drinking.

The biggest and most famous one, though, is in Cologne where on Thursday at 11.11 a.m. the street Carnival is officially opened by the three principal Carnival figures: the Prince, the Peasant and the Virgin. Over the weekend you saw thousands of “Jecken” in the city and celebrations and parties were held in every pub, restaurant, in every house. The Highlight was on Rose Monday, when the six-hour long procession with 10,000 of the city's gaudily-dressed inhabitants took place.

But all good things must come to an end. On Tuesday, “Veilchendienstag”, the fifth season of the year ended with the “Nubbelverbrennung”, where you burn the spirit of carnival to atone for the sins committed during the last 6 days. Then, on Ash Wednesday, the “Jecken” go into restaurants and pubs where the traditional fish dinners are served. You should think about going to Berlin to enjoy the colourful spectacle next year which is part of Germany’s unique culture. You can learn more about Altweiberfastnacht and also book holiday rentals in Germany for the amazing Altweiberfastnacht festivals.