Shrove Monday

Shrove Monday parades are a traditional high point of Carnival celebrations in Cologne, Duesseldorf, Mainz and other places in western Germany, drawing large crowds of locals and visitors.

Carnival is hugely popular in parts of western Germany, especially in Rhineland cities such as Cologne and Duesseldorf, where festivities peak on Shrove Monday - or “Rose Monday” - with tens of thousands attending street parades featuring comical or satirical floats.

Carnival is hugely popular in parts of western Germany, especially in Rhineland cities such as Cologne and Duesseldorf, where festivities peak on Shrove Monday - or "Rose Monday" - with tens of thousands attending street parades featuring comical or satirical floats.

The Mainzer Carnival Association presented the colorful, oversized figures for a first glimpse Tuesday before they will entertain the crowds on top of floats next week on Shrove Monday during the traditional street parade in the western city.

Shrove Monday’s street parades in traditional carnival strongholds like Cologne, Duesseldorf and Mainz in western Germany usually draw huge crowds of locals and tourists alike.