Carnival female reveller takes over Rhineland’s day, dancing, drinking and kissing

Cologne, Germany (AP) – At 11:11 a.m. Thursday, thousands of carnival revelers took over the streets of the Rhineland in western Germany, dancing, singing, singing, drinking and showing off their colorful costumes.

In many places, women rushed into the town hall, symbolically taking power for a day – which is why the fat in the area of ​​Carnival was traditionally known as Weiberfastnacht or Women’s Carnival.

According to another tradition, men will kiss if they allow women to cut off their ties or shoelaces. On this day, kisses are exchanged not only among partners, but also among strangers.

In cities like Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn and Mainz, Karnevalisten – the revelers are known as the Germans – throw confetti, grill beer, and sway in the streets. In addition to the typical German brass band music, the sound of the samba dance is also aired.

The bakery sells a large number of jelly donuts during the Carnival, the so-called fifth season of the year – from Thursday to Wednesday, before the traditional Roman Catholic Rhineland state Lent, it lasts until Wednesday.

Police have added their presence throughout the area after a recent series of stabbings and other attacks.

The German news agency DPA reported that state interior minister Herbert Reul said that the German news agency DPA reported that North Rhine-Westfaria had 9,900 police officers on duty, 2,500 more than Thursday’s regular season.

But despite the recent attacks frightened in Germany, Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker called on revelers to celebrate without fear.

“No one will succeed in scaring us in Cologne. We won’t let terrorists or Islamists take away the joy of our lives,” she said.

Reker himself was stabbed and seriously injured by a far-right extremist in October 2015 while running for the mayor’s office. The next day, she was elected in a coma and took office about a month later.