The Costumes of Karneval

I loved seeing the entire city dressed up for Karneval. At the very least, people were sporting a Kölsch scarf or fake tattoos; others went all out. It is a blast! Here's a round up of the most common costumes as well as some of my favorites.

Red, White, and Kölsch
Even if you don't like dressing up, simply wear anything red/white (the colors on Cologne's coat of arms) and you will be all set. Shops on every street sell scarfs, beanies, socks, gloves, and temporary tattoos, so you can put together a Karneval-ready for just a few Euros.

striped socks + flats + some stuff I had already = done!

Clowns
Unlike in the US, clowns aren't considered 'scary' in Germany, so this was a very popular costume. Some people painted their faces, some just wore clown noses (Pappnas) or a wig, and many wore the traditional Lappenclown (rag clown) costume:

Animals
Bears, dogs, lions, and other animals were really, really popular, especially with younger guys. Jeremy and I had to smile at this, since most guys in the US wouldn't be caught dead these suits (unless they were wearing them ironically). But after thinking about it more, I realized that these costumes are probably very warm! Sehr praktisch.

many families dressed up together!

Pirates and Cowboys
Pirates, cowboys, and American Indians were also very 'in'. Some of the costumes would have been considered a bit non-PC in the US, but overall these costumes were really funny!

oh boy - this float sort of sums up the
funny/ridiculous cowboy and indian costumes that we saw

'Historical' Characters
Mongols, Huns, other barbarians of indeterminate origin, and Roman legionnaires were also a common sight during Karneval.

Many people were out and about with a group, and they all wore similar costumes (usually big groups of girlfriends, laughing and dancing and generally having a blast together).

And now, my personal favorites:

die Familie Bär

i love creative homemade costumes
and that people of all ages dressed up!

male nuns noshing in front of the cathedral

"Scottish"

can't go wrong with a bagpipe hat

or a chicken hat

only one of these girls realizes that the orcs are hungry

wookies hangin' in front of the cathedral -- just another day at Karneval!

And that wraps up my last post about Karneval! Kolle Alaaf!