Rose Monday

Carnival - this is the 5th season of the year in the Rhineland. There are only two options: join in or drive far away. The highlight of the carnival in Duesseldorf is Rose Monday. The date changes every year and is always 48 days before Easter Sunday. In Dusseldorf we are used to have a Rose Monday Parade through the city since February 14, 1825. The parade was seldom canceled, for example due to a storm or the Second Gulf War, where even the "Jecken" didn't feel like partying.

Depending on the weather, around a million people come and take a look at the world-famous floats by artist Jacques Tilly. Together with his team, he builds the political theme floats that are top secret until Rose Monday. Tilly is targeting domestic and foreign policy, satirizing the church and other institutions. He often reacts quickly to current events, sometimes only having a few days to do so. In addition, there are floats of the carnival clubs in the Rose Monday Parade or "Rosenmontagszug", numerous foot groups are also on their way. They all throw "Kamelle" - candy, but also flowers, toys and other things into the crowd. Whoever calls "Helau" - the carnival call - as loudest has the most chances of getting something. Many bring umbrellas to better catch Kamelle. That's great fun especially for the children.

On the right hand side of the page you can find the best places to see the Rosenmontagszug in Duesseldorf.

History of the Rose Monday Parade

And why the whole thing? Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia: At the beginning of the 19th century, the carnival parades in the Rhineland - called "Zoch" in the vernacular - clearly had parody of military parades. The processions were also based on the historic rulers' receptions and were full of allusions to the time before the Rhineland was incorporated as a Prussian Rhine province during the Vienna Congress. They not only served for entertainment, but also offered the bourgeoisie a medium for self-presentation.