The party is back in Cologne. Canceled in 2020, the opening of the carnival was held on Thursday, for a vaccinated or cured public, despite a new outbreak of COVID-19 infections which worries the authorities.
“We are totally protected” by the reinforced health passport, judge Marie-Louise, 62, who came from the Netherlands on purpose to “finally celebrate again”. In a square in the heart of the old town, a colorful crowd of a few thousand maskless revelers sing a song together: “ Mir sin widder do “Or” we’re back “. Many hold up signs with the same message.
“The risk is reasonable,” also assures Uwe Schörnig, treasurer of an association of carnival riders in Cologne. But in Germany, the pandemic is racing: for the first time, the number of new cases in 24 hours exceeded 50,000 Thursday, and hospitals are filling more and more. So much so that Markus Söder, head of the Bavarian government, said he had “a little trouble imagining” the holding of the carnival this year.
“I do not feel guilty about partying,” said Mr. Schörnig, in sailor uniform, to AFP: “If the politicians think that restrictions are necessary, then we will stick to them, but as long as it is not the case, we will continue. “
Infected prince
COVID-19, however, shook up the official ceremony: the “prince” of the Cologne carvanal, at the center of the event, was declared positive the day before. It was his young counterpart, the child prince, who had to replace him at short notice. He therefore presented himself as usual in front of the crowd.
“We waited so long” when almost all of the events had been canceled in 2020, says Hanno Pütz, himself prince of the city of Bergisch Gladbach in 2019. “We couldn’t wait to put on our uniforms again. “We have so little normality in our lives now, it gives us a little joy in life,” he adds, wearing a traditional colorful white, red and gold carnival headgear – the rest of the costume. party always hidden under the anorak.
Carnival season officially begins every November 11 at 11:11 a.m. and ends on Ash Wednesday – the day after Mardi Gras – of the following year. The celebrations at the end of the carnival last a whole week.
Without a health passport, “it would not be possible with so many people,” said Stephanie Walbröhl, who still intends “to be tested all weekend” before returning to work.
We have so little normality in our lives now, it gives us a little joy of living