Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria

[1] In Franconia and Baden-Württemberg as well as some other parts of Germany, the carnival is called Fas(t)nacht, Fassenacht or Fasnet; in Switzerland, Fasnacht.

The Rhenish Carnival (Rheinischer Karneval, mainly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) is famous for celebrations such as parades and costume balls.

In the Rhineland festivities developed especially strongly, since it was a way to express subversive anti-Prussian and anti-French thoughts in times of occupation, through parody and mockery.

The committee that organizes the events in each town consists of a president and 10 junior members and is called the "Council of Eleven" or Elferrat.

The number eleven, elf in German, is significant in Carneval celebrations because it is an acronym for the French Revolution values of egalité, liberté, fraternité.

[citation needed] The carnival spirit is then temporarily suspended during Advent and Christmas, and picks up again in earnest in the New Year.

The time of merrymaking in the streets is officially declared open at the Alter Markt [de] during the Cologne Carnival on the Thursday before the beginning of Lent.

In many places "fools" take over city halls or municipal government and "wild" women cut men's ties wherever they get hold of them.

Although Rose Monday is not an official holiday in the Rhineland, in practice most public life comes to a halt and almost all workplaces are closed.

[3] It continues in some parts with the Shrove Monday, though often differently called, e.g. Güdismontag (literally: Paunch Monday) in Lucerne, and the last day before Ash Wednesday on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), in Lucerne known as Güdisdienstag (literally: Paunch Tuesday), often the most intense Fasnacht day.