Woman’s in carnival mode

Watch your tie

The Thursday before Carnival is a dangerous day if you are wearing a tie. This is “the party day” for all the ladies in town who like to celebrate this tradition and as well called “Old Women Day” or “The Women’s Day”. You will see groups of women who cut off ties from all the men they meet. In Cologne this is Weiberfastnacht and in Aachen it’s called Fettdonnerstag or just Altweiber – and I try to stay at home.

Washerwomen

There is a well written article from Deutsche Welle about this tradition which began many years ago with a group of washerwomen in the small town of Beuel that lies along the banks of the Rhine River close to Cologne and Bonn. Fed up with working while the men were off celebrating carnival, the washerwomen decided…