Carnival season kicks off in Germany

Weiberfastnacht (Fat Thursday) celebrations kicked off at 11:11 a.m. (1011 UTC) on the dot in the three western German Carnival strongholds of Cologne, Mainz and Düsseldorf. These ladies celebrate in front of Düsseldorf City Hall, which — in keeping with tradition — was stormed shortly afterwards by the "Möhnen," a local dialect word for 'older women.'

In Cologne, it is customary for women to cut off men's ties during Thursday's Weiberfastnacht celebrations. One highlight of the Carnival period includes the Rose Monday parades, which are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors in Cologne, Mainz and Düsseldorf alone.

In light of the current security situation, authorities are deploying large numbers of police officers to public Carnival events. Due to attacks in recent months, the police have assessed the situation as "more tense than in previous years." Islamists suspected of belonging to the so-called 'Islamic State' (IS) have used social networks to call for attacks.

In the western German city of Cologne alone, more than 1,400 police officers secure Carnival celebration hotspots in the city. The Jecken — as the jesters are known in the Rhineland region — are not deterred by the potential danger: "We must not live in fear, but celebrate freedom," one carnival reveller told the DPA news agency.

Partygoers crowded the streets from early morning. Officials in Cologne, however, reported there being "noticeably less going on than in previous years." Whether this is due in part to the threats made or perhaps because people have already celebrated enough during this year`s unusually long carnival season that began in November is pure speculation, a city spokesperson said.

At Cologne City Hall, Mayor Henriette Reker (2nd from left) welcomed the so-called triumvirate of Prince, Peasant and Maiden; they will symbolically rule the cathedral city until Ash Wednesday, when Carnival ends. Reker emphasized that no one would let threats of attack spoil the celebrations.

There is a special reason to celebrate in Düsseldorf this year: Carnival in the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital is celebrating its 200th birthday — and Carnival revelers are doing so under the motto "200 Johr — Hütt un wie et wor" (200 years — today and how it was).

Carnival is even celebrated in prison in the Rhineland: Members of a Carnival club get ready to dance for the inmates in the stairwell of the women's prison in Cologne.

Especially in the current times, [celebrating] Carnival is important, psychologist Stephan Grünewald told the local "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" newspaper. People feel that society is drifting further and further apart — "that is of course poison for democracy," Grünewald added. Carnival revelries will continue until Ash Wednesday (this year on March 5).