The Cologne Carnival officially begins on November 11 at 11:11 AM, but the heart of the festivities unfolds in the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday.
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Tens of thousands of revelers gathered across Germany on Monday to celebrate Carnival amidst tight security.
Thousands of people in masquerade costumes were not deterred by the bad weather in German cities like Cologne and Düsseldorf - with garbage bags particularly popular at kiosks so they could be used as overcoats against the rain.
Cologne’s mayor Henriette Reker said Carnival came at the right time.
“I am convinced that we can all use a bit of energy in these many crises that we are experiencing,” she said, added that people celebrate with an awareness of what is going on in the world, “but we are not paralyzed.”
Tens of thousands once again gathered in the city. 1,400 civil servants were on the streets, a good 200 more than last year.
300 employees of the public order office and more than 1,000 employees of private security companies were also on the streets on behalf of the city.
Celebrations also took place in other German cities like Mainz, Trier and Koblenz.
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