Today is November 11 and unfortunately I missed to post this at exactly 11:11 am which marks the beginning of the “fifth season” in Germany – Carnival.
The Rhineland area, where I come from, is especially famous for their Carnival celebrations which culminate in a week-long street festival leading up to Ash Wednesday [sometime in February/March]. The highlight of Carnival is on Rosenmontag, the Monday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It can be compared to “Mardi Gras” which is celebrated in the Southern US and it usually involves dressing up in costumes, dancing, drinking and big parades with carnival floats [often thematic] and lots of sweets that are thrown as a treat for the watching audience.
Although I myself am not the greatest fan of the Carnival season, my sister is definitely a “Karnevalsjeck” [someone who LOVES carnival and who dresses up and parties the whole time]. She usually gets together with one of her girlfriends weeks in advance to come up with a costume that they then sew themselves and on November, 11 they usually go to Köln by train to celebrate the start of the “fifth season”.
I am pretty sure that’s what my sister did today [although I haven’t talked to her yet] and for some reason, I feel somehow a little sad that I wasn’t there to maybe… and I intentionally say maybe, because I am pretty sure I am just saying that because I am so far away and there’s no way that I would have joined her… spend the day with her today.
I just know that today was a special day for her and thinking about it, it made me miss her even more today than I do on any other day anyways.
Maribeth
November 12, 2007 at 4:04 amI know what you mean. My sister is just 4 1/2 hours away, but there are times when things like this are happening and I really miss her a lot.
ute
November 12, 2007 at 8:21 amawww that sounds like fun! i know missing people is not much fun. send you a big hug and hope you will have a nice week!!