Meredith Lemke '23 | Celebrating Karneval During the Pandemic

Karneval celebrations took very different forms this year in Germany as the country continues to implement strict Covid-19 mitigation policies.

Karneval is a beloved holiday in Germany, typically celebrated through songs, parties, festivities, and parades in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent. On Rose Monday, or Rosenmontag, the streets of Cologne, Mainz, Düsseldorf, and cities across Nordrhein-Westfalen typically fill to the brim with people in festive costumes jubilantly throwing candy, drinking, laughing, and singing. In the evening, people gather in large Karneval halls to listen to bands and comedians perform. These performances are aired live on TV for many to watch from the comfort of their homes. Karneval festivities are a much loved annual tradition which attract tourists from across the world. That is why Düsseldorf’s decision to cancel all festivities, including television programs, this year was incredibly difficult. 2021 marks only the third time in decades that a city has cancelled Karneval. The last time Karneval was cancelled in Düsseldorf and Mainz was in 2016 due to a severe storm. In 1991, it was canceled in Cologne due to the Gulf War. This year, people across the country longed for Karneval, Fasching, and Fastnacht festivities to ease the melancholy and monotony of the enduring pandemic. However, for the sake of public health, parades and events were almost entirely cancelled, and police continued to enforce Covid-19 social distancing regulations. On Saturday February 13th alone, Cologne police broke up 24 private gatherings which violated lockdown protocols. Violators of such protocols are fined up to €250 per person. 

Not all traditions were lost this year, though! Cologne did engage in some limited planned celebrations this past week. The traditional city parade was recreated by the famous Hänneschen-Theater in miniature with puppets. The puppet parade included staged scenery to recreate the backdrop of the city and even included the biting, politically satirical floats for which Karneval is famous. The puppet parade aired on February 15th and is available to stream via WDR. Cologne, unlike Düsseldorf, did not completely cancel its normal televised evening performances. In order to test performers for Covid-19 and ensure public health safety, the event was pre-recorded rather than performed live, and featured fun musicians, comedians, and other acts socially distanced on stage. Nevertheless, this past week, many Germans across the country missed the normalcy of fun in-person celebrations. Many hope that next year’s Karneval celebrations will return to in person gatherings; however, Cologne’s efforts show that with a bit of creativity, the fun and traditions of Karneval can be preserved even in times of social distancing.

My german host mother and myself celebrating Karneval in Bergisch Gladbach, 2019