In the CologneDüsseldorf and other bastions of stupid fun, a new carnival session opens on Tuesday at 11 am In Cologne, venue 11.11. Traditionally, it is a huge celebration, and thousands of costumed people from out of town gather in brilliant “Sunnesching.” Based on entertainer Guido Cantz’s motto: “Not everything works out in Cologne, but what we can definitely do is celebrate.”
Carnival is one big therapy session
Cologne’s leading carnival fan, Christoph Kuckelkorn, stressed the importance of uniting the forces of carnival in times of social division. “Carnival is a huge holistic therapy session, I think, for everyone Rhineland», said the President of the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee of the German Press Agency. “You approach people, you integrate them into your life, you bring them to the table,” Kuckelkorn said. “And that is a very important element, especially at a time of division in our society.” In a city of millions of people like Cologne, where almost 200 nationalities live together, carnival is a great integrative force.
“The city will then overflow”
However, Cologne always faces the task of controlling the influx of partying tourists. This time the police were present in Cologne with around 1,000 officers. There are also 450 public order service employees and 1,200 private security service employees. “A lot of guests come to Cologne and that’s a good thing,” said Carnival President Kuckelkorn. “But the city is crowded and not everyone can find the place they need to celebrate.” That’s why there is always a “outward appearance” that is “not so good”. “We have to face it.”
Most visitors to Cologne arrive on 11 November. the area around Zülpicher Straße, which is called “Kwartier Latäng”. The student area, with its many bars and pubs, has long been considered a hotspot that attracts many out-of-town partygoers, even on regular weekends. At 11:35, the municipality reported that “Jecken occupancy levels” were very high and the entrance would be closed until further notice.
Robert Habeck didn’t want to celebrate the carnival
In Düsseldorf, the carnival season begins with the mischievous figure of Hoppeditz coming to life at 11:11 and giving a mocking speech in front of the city hall. This time he specifically targeted Friedrich Merz who was celebrating his 70th birthday at the same time. Rector of Sauerland keeps himself in shape by rowing, Hoppeditz states: “Every few weeks someone knocks someone out, all at once, and then they row like fools, and usually go backwards!”
Jecken and the fools also celebrated the start of new “Eleventh in the Eleventh” sessions in other cities. As reported by Dutch television, November 11 will also become increasingly popular there, for example in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. There are many connections between carnivals in the Rhineland and those in neighboring southern Netherlands, for example the carnival in Cologne is called “Fastelovend” and in Maastricht it is called “Vastelaovend”.
However, not everyone understands the hustle and bustle. Green Party leader Katharina Dröge, who lives in Cologne, recently reported: “I can negotiate very hard, but what I have failed to do so far is persuade Robert Habeck to celebrate Carnival.”
It’s unclear why exactly the carnival starts on November 11th. There is speculation: these are schnapps numbers, stupid numbers, as they said in the Middle Ages. One more than ten fingers and one less than twelve apostles. There is nothing half-hearted and nothing whole.
Additionally, November 11, St. Patrick’s Day. Martin, used to mark the end of the harvest season. It is celebrated with roasted meat, St. George’s goose. Martin. People often drink too many glasses. After the work is finished, people have fun, especially from the start of the fasting period until Christmas.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251111-930-275684/3
