Rise up, and shake your booty to the tune....it's carnival time, Hallelujah!!

Whatever may be the definition of fun for you; to it just add a few more ingredients like-booze, unlimited partying, flirting, colourful dresses, music and tonnes of chocolates....Rheinland carnival makes the season all the more memorable. Rich and lively, you have to see it, to believe it!

In one line, the Rheinland carnival can best be described as 'the time of complete frivolity'.

Imagine, Germans going berserk, laughing their hearts out, singing, dancing on the streets....no matter, how much the scene may look dubious, but this is what actually happens. As for the rest of the world, we are left totally flabbergasted with a big question mark which asks, 'Can even Germans have fun'? Well, fortunately or unfortunately, they have been stereotyped as the most well mannered, and disciplined of the nations, so when they come out of their usual shells...we are taken by utter surprise. And this madness which unfolds during the carnival season grows by leaps and bounds with every passing minute.

Two of my ever favourite carnivals are- the St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland, and the Fifth Season Carnival in the Rheinland, Germany. Apart from all the exhilaration of the festivities, what truly amazes me about this NRW( North Rhine Westphalia) carnival is the way chocolates are hurled at the spectators from various floats....it is indeed, the rain of chocolates from everywhere. Rheinland carnival is an absolute delight to the chocolate lovers. No doubt, people from all walks of life equally participate in the season's crazy celebrations.

So when does the carnival kick off? In many parts of Germany, at 11:11 am on 11^th November, commences the Carnival which is followed by unbridled drinking and partying, and finally it reaches the climax during the days preceding Ash Wednesday. In Rheineland, the carnival is being celebrated since the 19^th century with much enthusiasm and merriment The digits 11 were picked up because the number '11' is called magical 'fool's number'. Since middle ages, the number 11 has been seen as the number of sin, and associated with court jesters and fools.

Surprisingly, you would not find a single public place unoccupied during the carnival time. Buses, trams, trains- all public transports are packed with people dressed in fancy costumes who portray comical characters with beer bottles in hand. Giggling, joking, singing, dancing, and the caravan moves on....

The modern concept of Rheinland carnival is to 'unwind and be foolish'. It is said “ Anyone who is not a fool at Carnival is foolish for the rest of the year”. The high season, in which everyone- old or young, equally participates by wearing colourful costumes and attending the procession, unveils on 'Weiberfassnacht' ( Women's Thursday). This street Carnival which is a week-long street festival, also referred to as ' the crazy days' ends on Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday). However, the main highlight of the entire jollification is, the Rosen Montag (Rose Monday),i.e, two days before Ash Wednesday. All through the festivities people go around masqueraded, and chanting their respective city's greetings eg- Kolle Alaaf!; a Kolsch phrase meaning-' Cologne alive!' or shouting Helau; the local carnival greeting in Düsseldorf.

The best of the festival is reserved for the last, which comes on Rosen Montag ,the day is marked by grand parades and processions, along with countless walking groups,and the shower of chocolates. The thrill, the joy, the clatter of the crowds, the sparkle in the eyes of people...the feeling is indefinable. There is the smell, and colour of celebration in the air, and the undying spirit of the carnival... well! the spectacle is worth capturing in the lens.

In Mainz, the carnival theme highlights the political and literary humour plus the commentary. Carnival gathers momentum from Weiberfassnacht or the women's Thursday. It shows the power of pink, a day dedicated to women. The day reminds us of the history of women's rights movement. On this day, men all around Rhineland can expect to have their ties cut off as the fairer sex roams around carrying scissors in hand. It is a perfect occasion for women to find their matches.

What amuses me the most about Germans is, how rapidly they get over the festivities and madness. They just won't let the hangover disturb their routine, and most importantly their punctuality. A day before they were insanely drunk and complete junkies, and today without carrying a single trace of yesterday's madness...they are back to being sober, and as always reaching the office on the dot.

After all, 'Ordnung ist das halbe Leben' ( Organisation is half of one's life).