Carnival Celebrations Peak Across Germany with Parades and Festivities
Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, marks the high point of Carnival season in many parts of Germany. However, the connection between the day and roses may be indirect. The origin of the name remains unclear, likely stemming from the church’s Rosensonntag, or Rose Sunday. Since the Middle Ages, the Pope has blessed a golden rose on the third Sunday before Easter, marking the midpoint of Lent, and the day became known as Rosensonntag. Another theory suggests Rosenmontag evolved from “Rasenmontag” or “rasenden Montag,” meaning “raging Monday.”
In Baden-Württemberg, Rose Monday is celebrated in many towns and cities with parades. In Rottweil, the traditional Narrensprung, or fools’ jump, took place today. In Schramberg, located in the Rottweil district, the Zuber-Kapitäne, or tub captains, began their Bach-Na-Fahrt, a ride down the Kirchbach stream, at midday. Ravensburg also hosted a large Narrensprung at 10:00 AM, with 58 guilds and groups participating. According to the city’s website, access roads to the city center and the entire inner city were largely closed between 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM to accommodate the event.
The festivities continued in Bad Waldsee, where the “Fasnetsmontig,” featuring a large Narrensprung, was celebrated at 2:00 PM, with participation from guilds outside the local area. Parades were also planned in Ettlingen and Calw. In Ettlingen (Karlsruhe district), around 80 groups were reportedly registered to participate, with the parade beginning at 2:11 PM. A parade also commenced in Graben-Neudorf (Karlsruhe district) at the same time. Later in the evening, a night parade began in Calw, starting at 7:01 PM, with numerous Narrenzünfte, or fools’ guilds, expected to attend.
Additional parades took place today, on Rosenmontag, in Bischweier and Bühlertal (both in the Rastatt district). Approximately 80 groups participated in Bischweier, with the parade starting at 2:11 PM. In Bühlertal, the parade, also with around 80 groups, began at 1:33 PM.
Carnival celebrations aren’t limited to Baden-Württemberg. Across Bavaria, Nuremberg hosted a Fasching Parade on February 16, 2026, and Munich held an open-air Carnival and Parade on February 17, 2026. Further north, Kaiserslautern and the Palatinate region observed Children’s Carnival, known as Kalause, on February 8, 2026, followed by a Women’s Carnival on February 12, 2026, at the Congress Center in Ramstein, and a Speckball Carnival Party on February 13, 2026, in Elschbach Westrich. A Fasching Parade is scheduled for February 17, 2026, in Ramstein.
Other notable events include Rose Monday Parade and Festivities in Brühl Hall, Baumholder, and Children’s Carnival in Weilerbach, both on February 16, 2026. Rose Monday Fasnacht Parades were also held in Mainz and Seligenstadt on February 16, 2026, alongside a Faschingsparty in Breitenbach on February 15, 2026. The Rhine-Main region saw Carnival parades in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt between February 14-16, 2026, with a Children’s Parade in Wiesbaden on February 14, 2026, and a Carnival Parade in Wiesbaden Heddernheim on February 15, 2026. Klaa Paris is set to take place on February 17, 2026, in Frankfurt-Heddernheim.
In Stuttgart, celebrations included Küblerball on February 14, 2026, a Children’s Carnival on February 16, 2026, and a Guggen-Monster Concert on February 16, 2026, culminating in a Carnival Day Parade on February 17, 2026.
Carnival, known as Fasching or Karneval in Germany, is a period of celebration leading up to Lent, characterized by colorful costumes, masked balls, and elaborate parades. The largest celebrations are traditionally held in Cologne and Düsseldorf, though festivities take place throughout the country.
