Carnival

Today is the 11th of Novembre. In cultured or normal parts of the world, it is just a day. Maybe a birthday, but in generally normal. In the Rhineland, especially in Cologne it is the beginning of the carnival. It is the time to laugh and sing and schunkeln (meaning, that you hang your arms into two peoples armes to both sides and move to the left and the right. Preferably in the rhythym of th music playing). Unfortunately it is also the time for a lot of people, who are not diagnosed alcoholics or may even be quite sour the rest of the year, to drink themselves into oblivion and pour out their innermost. To put it mildly. It is a disgusting thing to avoid it on the street.
But I am told, that there is a lot of fun in it, the singing and the costumes. Because in the Rhineland, people wear costumes for Carnival, not for Halloween. There is only this day in autumn, when they are worn. The real time begins about February/March and ends with Ash Wednesday. And then the fasting before Easter begins. It is actually a catholic feast, with some heathen sprinkling in it. As is Easter, because the searching of eggs is not christian at all. It is a fertility-rite.
And so we all have learned something from this post. And to add something. My third favourite day in the year (after my birthday and christmas) is Ash Wednesday....

This post is to amend for my usual Sunday-Post. But since I had problems, as I wrote already, I have to write on another computer..

Alaaf or Helau (the first is a carnival-greeting in and around Cologne and the latter in the rest of the carnival-places. But Alaaf is international. I think. It is easier said. :-)

 This is a prince carnival of cologne. The guy in red and gold, with the feather. No, it is not Robin Hood.