What is Cologne Carnival?

Karneval (or 'Carnival' in German) is considered the fifth season in the Rhineland, Western Germany. People have heard of it and perhaps considered travelling to Cologne to experience the spectacle, the 'Kölner Karneval'. But when exactly is Cologne Carnival and how is it actually celebrated? Are there any taboos? And what does this Bützchen actually mean? All these questions and more will be answered here!

Things you should know about Cologne Carnival:

• When is Carnival?
• What happens at Cologne Carnival?
• Where is Carnival celebrated?
• Why is Carnival celebrated??
• How is Cologne Carnival celebrated?
• The 'Do’s und Don'ts' at the Cologne Carnival
• The Cologne Carnival terminology

When is Cologne Carnival?

The carnival season opens every year on 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 am at the Alter Markt (Old Market Square)* in Cologne. Between 11 November and Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival Day: Thursday before Ash Wednesday), Fasteleer, name for the session carnival, reigns in Cologne. Therefore, it is not uncommon to encounter a group of people dressed-up in the middle of December. The actual street carnival, or Fastelovond, opens on Schwerdonnerstag ('Heavy Thursday' or 'Fat Thursday') and lasts until Ash Wednesday. The exact date varies along with Easter, as Carnival always begins exactly 40 days before Easter.

When is Carnival in 2023??

• Weiberfastnacht (Schwerdonnerstag): 16 February
• Fastnachtssamstag (Shrove Saturday): 18 February
• Fastnachtssonntag (Shrove Sunday): 19 February
• Rosenmontag (Shrove Monday): 20 February
• Fastnacht (Shrove Tuesday): 21 February
• Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday): 22 February

What happens at Cologne Carnival?

Events during the Carnival in Cologne includes:

• open-air concerts
• dressing up in colourful costumes
• handing out sweets
• Bützchen (little kiss)
• parties
• and, of course, drinking Kölsch beer (a beer originated from Cologne)

Where is Carnival celebrated?

Cologne is probably the most famous carnival city, but by no means the only one! Carnival is actually celebrated throughout the Rhineland and partly in the south of the Netherlands. Every city celebrates a little differently and has different traditions and customs (for example, the shouts 'Alaaf' and 'Helau'). *For this blog we mainly present the Cologne Carnival.

Why is Carnival celebrated?

There are various stories about the actual origin of the celebration of Carnival, but the most consistent version speaks of a celebration or exorcism of letting go of evil spirits before the eve of Easter Lent. This is where the term Fastnacht comes from. The word carnival comes from Italian and means something like 'taking away the flesh', but it has been used only since the 18th century and reached Cologne only around 1800. However, the term never really caught on, because in Cologne the festivities are mainly called 'Fastelovond', meaning Fastnacht. The first written records that tell of the Fastnacht celebration date back to 1220. During times of French and Prussian occupation, carnival was also a festival of protest in which the occupiers were ridiculed.

How is Cologne Carnival celebrated?

How carnival is celebrated differs between session and street carnivals:

• Carnival session: Carnivalists come together for an evening and celebrate together. Food and drink are served, there is singing and swaying, while there are performances by musicians, comedians, ventriloquists and other artists.
• Street carnival, the festivities spread throughout the city. There are parades of various carnival clubs and associations, in which dancing, music is played, sweets and Bützchen are distributed. There is also live music and performances of all kinds in almost every square. No matter where you are, there is celebration, dancing and singing. This is especially true on Rose Monday.

There is also the tradition of ghost parades; These are unofficial parades organised by carnivalists among themselves. The Sunday evening before Rose Monday is a popular time for ghost parades.

🎷 Worth knowing: Cologne has developed a unique and very own music culture that will be completely foreign to most people outside the city. For example, there are bands and singers who have been making music for decades, selling millions of albums and playing to sold-out halls, but are completely unknown in the rest of the country. These musicians, in fact, make music in Kölsch (the city's dialect) for the Cologne Carnival and are megastars in their hometown.

The “Do's and Don'ts” at the Cologne Carnival

• If someone shouts 'Kölle', you answer with 'Alaaf', never with 'Helau'.
• Only Kölsch is tapped in pubs. Under no circumstances order Altbier.
• Dusseldorf should never be mentioned unless it is made fun of.
• People like to tease each other, so you should not take this personally.
• Friendly Bützchen are distributed with pleasure, so here you shouldn't think anymore more about it.

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