Traditions · Germany
German Karneval, Fasching & Fastnacht
Three names, one tradition — Germany's pre-Lenten carnival runs from November through to Shrove Tuesday, with the main celebrations concentrated in the week before Ash Wednesday. Which name you use depends entirely on where in Germany you are.
In brief
Germany's pre-Lenten carnival has three regional names: Karneval in the Rhineland (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz), Fasching in Bavaria and Austria, and Fastnacht in the southwest. The season officially opens on 11 November at 11:11am, but the main celebrations — the “crazy days” (Tolle Tage) — run from the Thursday before Ash Wednesday (Weiberfastnacht) through Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) to Shrove Tuesday itself.
Karneval vs Fasching vs Fastnacht: what's the difference?
The three names all refer to the same pre-Lenten carnival tradition, but they belong to different regions and have subtly different characters.
Karneval
Rhineland — Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Mainz
Large street parades with political satire floats, enormous public gatherings, throwing sweets from floats. The most internationally recognisable form. Cologne's Rosenmontag parade is one of Germany's biggest events.
Fasching
Bavaria, Austria, eastern Germany
More focused on balls, indoor events, and costume parties. The tradition in Munich is characterised by formal masked balls and the Fasching season running in clubs and dance halls throughout January and February.
Fastnacht
Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Switzerland
Often older and more rooted in village tradition. Southwest Fastnacht features distinctive wooden masks (Larven), often carved by hand and passed through families. The Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht is considered particularly ancient in origin.
The distinctions track the historical religious geography of Germany: the Rhineland and southwest were strongly Catholic, which anchored the pre-Lenten tradition most firmly. Bavaria is also Catholic, with its own version. Northern and eastern Germany, historically more Protestant, has less of a Karneval tradition — though Fasching balls exist in cities like Berlin.
When does Karneval start?
The Karneval season officially begins on 11 November at 11 minutes past 11am — the Elfter im Elften (Eleventh of the Eleventh).
This date has no liturgical significance — it follows the end of the harvest season and precedes Advent. The 11:11 time is part of the playful numerology of Karneval: eleven is the “fool's number” in German carnival tradition. Opening ceremonies take place in city centres across the Rhineland, with the presentation of the Carnival Prince, Princess, and the Fool figure.
The main events, however, are concentrated in the Tolle Tage — the five “crazy days” running from Weiberfastnacht (the Thursday before Ash Wednesday) through to Shrove Tuesday. These are the days of street parties, parades, and maximum disruption to ordinary life.
Key Karneval dates
| Year | Weiberfastnacht | Rosenmontag | Shrove Tuesday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 4 February | 8 February | 9 February |
| 2028 | 24 February | 28 February | 29 February |
| 2029 | 8 February | 12 February | 13 February |
What is Weiberfastnacht?
Weiberfastnacht — also called Altweiber in Cologne — is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, the traditional start of the Rhineland Karneval street season.
The defining custom is that women cut men's neckties with scissors. The cut tie becomes a Karneval trophy; the woman who cuts it traditionally offers a kiss in return. In offices and public spaces throughout the Rhineland, men wear old or cheap ties in anticipation of losing them. In Cologne, the tradition historically originated with women's Karneval groups symbolically “taking over” governance for the day.
From Weiberfastnacht onwards, the streets of Cologne, Düsseldorf, and other Rhineland cities fill with costumed revellers. Pubs, restaurants, and many businesses close or operate in Karneval mode until Ash Wednesday, when everything abruptly stops.
Rosenmontag: the biggest parade day
Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) is the Monday before Ash Wednesday and the centrepiece of Rhineland Karneval. Cologne's Rosenmontag parade — the Rosenmontagszug — is one of the largest events in Germany, drawing over a million spectators along a 7.5-kilometre route through the city centre.
The parade features enormous floats, many of them political satire — caricatures of politicians and world leaders that are sharply critical and deliberately provocative. This satirical tradition dates back centuries: Karneval was historically one of the few times when the powerful could be publicly mocked without consequence. The “court jester” logic of the carnival season — in which normal social hierarchies are inverted — gave licence for commentary that would otherwise be dangerous.
Float riders throw Kamelle (sweets), chocolate, flowers, and small toys into the crowd — a tradition called Kamelle schmeißen. Catching as many Kamelle as possible is a competitive pastime for spectators of all ages.
Karneval food: Krapfen, Kamelle & Berliner
The food of German Karneval follows the same pre-Lenten logic as Pancake Day: rich, fried, and sweet.
Krapfen (in Bavaria) or Berliner Pfannkuchen (elsewhere) are the signature Fasching food: deep-fried doughnuts filled with jam, custard, or cream, dusted with icing sugar. The Bavarian Krapfen tradition closely parallels Poland's Fat Thursday pączki — the same idea, different pastry shape. Millions are sold across Germany during the Fasching season, with bakeries producing them in vast quantities from January onwards.
A Berlin Karneval legend holds that certain Berliner are deliberately filled with mustard and sold alongside the normal jam-filled ones — finding a mustard Berliner being a practical joke analogous to the plastic baby in a New Orleans king cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Shrove Tuesday traditions
Sources & further reading
- A definitive guide to carnival (Karneval, Fasching, Fastnacht) in Germany — IamExpat.de
- Carnival — Study in Germany
- Altweiber Tradition — German Missions in Canada
- What is Weiberfastnacht? — Cologne Tourism
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