Every year, German carnival season kicks off at 11.11am on November 11. What’s the occasion for all this out-of-character tomfoolery and what’s the obsession with all of those ones?
Germany is not a country often associated with silliness for silliness’ sake. But even the most serious of us have to let off some silly steam to seem sensible the rest of the time. Much of this steam is let off on November 11, but precisely scheduled of course, for 11.11am, which is when the official carnival season, also known as the “fifth season”, begins in Germany.
Karneval is the Catholic tradition of partying it up hard before you forsake everything fun during Lent. It’s the storm before the calm. Being a Catholic tradition, Karneval is mostly celebrated in western German states, specifically the Rhineland, with Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz and Frankfurt hosting the biggest bashes.
Karneval is recognised in eastern states, where it is called Fasching, and in southern states, where it is called Fastnacht, but is a more modest affair which predominantly centres around children dressing up.
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In the Rhineland, the “fifth season” opens with a bang as revellers, also known as Jecke, in their silliest costumes flood into the streets for a day of drinking and dancing. Costumes reflect the year’s chosen theme but are not obliged to; anything from M&Ms to Eminem to Merkel will be a crowd-pleaser and political commentary is in the spirit of Karneval.
In Düsseldorf, the day begins with “awaking the Hoppeditz” (Hoppeditz erwachen), an event reminiscent of the Groundhog Day tradition linked to the Pennsylvania Dutch, which sees the carnival mascot Hoppeditz awoken the get the party started.
Hoppeditz awoken, once the season officially opens on November 11, Karneval takes a back seat for Christmas celebrations before reappearing in late February and “peaking” on Rosenmontag, the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday.
On Rosenmontag in the Rhineland, Jecke flood back into the streets to watch parades and spot the most riotous carnival floats, which traditionally satirise the political happenings of the year gone by. The Hoppeditz is burned the following day on Violet Tuesday (Veilchendienstag), the night before Karneval season ends on Ash Wednesday.
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If you asked a jolly Jeck why Karneval opens on November 11 at 11.11am they might tell you “Weil die 11 eine Schnapszahl ist und wir trinken gerne Schnapps”, a pun that means, “Because 11 is a repdigit (Schnapszahl) and we like to drink schnapps”.
Sadly the real origin story of Karneval's punctuality doesn’t scream “Let’s party” quite so loud. Aside from November 11 being Saint Martin’s Day (Martinstag), when fasting time traditionally begins before Lent, 11 lies between the human and the holy - a limbo where it's socially acceptable to be on your second beer at 11am and indulge in carnivalesque behaviour.
Being one more than the 10 fingers on a human hand and one fewer than the holy 12 Apostles, the number has an air of playful sin. But it turns out all this letting off steam with some sinful tomfoolery is just more seriousness dressed up, for the day and time of the "fools" number” is traditionally an opportunity for all of us rabble to air our criticisms about the great and the good.
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