Brit Reacts to Western Germany: Meet the Germans Road Trip Part 4/4 

Sure, we do have a lot of cousins in England. You call 'em royal family.

Carneval or Fasching are the last "fat" days before the pre-Easter Lent, so the date of the actual Carneval days changes every year. The begin of the season is on November 11th, which is Saint Martin's Day: this is also celebrated, somebody dressed in a Roman soldier's uniform rides a horse, and children walk behind him, carrying a paper lantern on a stick, singing songs, and when they arrive at the town square, they light a bonfire. Although, in some places, the season begins on January 6th (Ephiphany). Then, it depends what date Easter is on (Good Friday has to be the first Friday on or following the first full moon after the Spring equinox): Carneval has to begin 40 days before Holy Saturday (right before Easter), and the Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, when Carneval is over. These traditions predate Christianity; for instance, there were the Roman "Saturnaliae", which were the 5 "leftover" days (since the romans had 12 months of 30 days each) during which social order was reversed, the masters would wait on their slaves, it was allowed to criticize and to mock authorities, to be disguised, have parties, etc. Other non-Roman civilizations had celebrations with masks and noise to scare the evil spirits of Winter away. There were also reasons like the management of food reserves: the last animals would have been slaughtered in November, and people had to get rid of the leftover meat and fat (which is also why, in French-speaking places, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is called "Mardi-Gras" (Fat Tuesday) and people make a kind of donuts fried in fat). But the Church back then didn't manage to get rid of those celebrations, so they have been christianized, taken over and given a Christian explanation, like with many other holidays. Even Eastern, which is called "Ostern" in German, used to be a festival to honor the goddess of Spring, called "Ostara" ("Eostre" in English). Even Bede, in the 8th century, mentions this.

Rachel Stewart is always worth to watch. I really like her personality and vibe in these documentary clips.

"halfe Hahn" is NOT "half a chicken" it means " half a tap/beer pull". This misunderstanding is common in Germany, too. We use the same word for both! 😉

In Saarland they speak German, but the first foreign language in schools is French

Wine 🍷 - German Wine is indeed known and in Stores worldwide. Especially Riesling is I demand in the USA.

Easter always takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. In order to calculate the date for Easter, you therefore need to know when the beginning of spring is. This was set to March 21 to simplify the calculation of the Easter date. Carnival ends 40 (Lent) days earlier. So it is sometimes in February and sometimes in March, depending on when Easter is.

You didn´t know about german wine? Well the BIGGEST WINE festival in the whole world is in Germany, in the "Pfalz" in Bad Dürkheim. It´s called the "Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt" known since the year 1417. What is in Bavaria the Oktoberfest is in the "Pfalz" the Wurstmarkt with about 600 000 visitors

And we can not wait to have you here - you are very welcome. Like every person from all over the world.

Actually the Ruhrpott miners region did not experience the amount of unemployment that Britain did at the time of Margret thatcher because the federal and the local government invested heavily in re-training the miners and implementing new industries.

🎉 Nuh, Carneval in that area did not evolve into letting loose, it always had been that way through medieval times, the on time of the year the peasants were allowed to make fun/roast the ruling class. It is still that way, with political themed floats in the parades, such as figures of right wing politicians kissing Putin's bare behind. 😅

I'm 55. The Dorian Grey and the Omen where something special plz. look for Sven Väth.😊

Greetings from Western Germany (Hessen)! Really like your reactions!

I love how you called us your brother/sister-country❤ I feel it likewise😊

My parents went to wine tasting every year when I was a child. We started on Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday. Later, that family came to us to NRW and brought boxes of wine my father ordered. Btw, try Rheinischer Sauerbraten, a very delicious dish.

1:20 The Rhine was only the border north of Koblenz (Confluentes) and only after Tiberius and Germanicus officially had failed to reconquer the regions east of it after the defeat of Varus (but anyway succeeded in defeating Arminius, the vanquisher of Varus, several times). South of Koblenz the Romans occupied both banks of the Rhine and all land south and west of river Main as well as some north of it (including the Frankfurt region). And Western Germany was not only part of the Roman Empire like Southern Great Britain, but also part of the British occupied zone after WW II (until 1994 it was even the home of the British Army of the Rhine, but they did not build such impressive buildings as the Roman Army). 2:35 Carnival is also called Fastelovend (Lent's Eve) in Cologne. Carnival is held before the Lent before Easter; it is originally a Catholic celebration of feasting away all leftover meat, eggs, and so on (as well as sexual urges) before fasting starts. The only major and traditional Protestant Carnival is the one in Basel, held about a week after the Catholic ones (because Basel rejected a change in the church counting of fasting days even before it became Protestant). 6:00 Seems not fully correct. Actually regional politicians tried for a long time to delay the necessary structural changes; establishing of new, not steel-related industries was sometimes impeded by regional authorities and the mining industry was heavily subsidized by the federal government. Since the mid 1960s domestic black coal was more expensive than imported one, but subsidizing ended only in 2018, when the costs for mining black coal in Germany had become about double the global market price. This prolongation caused much economic, ecological and social harm. 7:35 "Heaven and Earth" you can find also in many other regions. "Heaven" always stands for apples, "Earth" for "Erdäppel" (ground apples) = potatoes. 8:35 Hessian Ebbelwoi is usually more sour than the "Apfelmost" (apple must) drunk in the Southwest, but both come with less carbonic acid than most ciders - they are normally not fizzy (except if you make a "Schorle" from them by adding sparkling water to it).

The Dorian Gray was indeed in the basement of the airport and as he said, the whole package was a blast!

Well, the British Army was stationed here for ages after WW II; the headquarters of BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) was in Cologne, and we had free reception. If you were lucky, you could even get an addition to your (aerial) antenna and receive the TV programming they put out. For a lot of us, BFBS radio was our introduction to (and pretty much only source of) English as spoken by natives, in all the most popular BBC daytime shows of the 1970s. Fun times!

My father was a miner until an injury sent him to work at the mine's office around the time I was born. As the major crisis hit the mining industry In the mid- to late 1960s, he decided to take a compensation and quit a year before the mine was actually shutting down, hoping to have a better chance at finding new employment ... only to be told time and again, "Sorry, but if you were just 2 years younger ..." He was 37 at the time. Eventually, he retrained as a nursing aide, not at all what he wanted, and ultimately quite detrimental to his mental health -- not just that he often had to defer to women half his age (a big deal for his generation, even though he was rather progressive), but that the hospital only had 8 male nurses, who routinely had to take care of all the patients who lost their lives (transporting them to the morgue, prepping them for pickup by the morticians, etc.). It ... wasn't an easy time, even though at least my mother was working full time throughout.

Greetings from Wild West Germany, City of Recklinghausen, Westfalia

Oh yes, Frankfurt with Sven Väth, Mark Spoon, Chris Liebing and many others. Clubs like U60 and Omen were legendary, the only places that had the leverage of competing with Tresor or E-Werk from Berlin (and many others, again)

Carnival in Brazil is also in Feburary. Since it is on the southern Hemisphere though the weather is sunny at that time.

Before the First and Second World Wars, the British and Americans mostly drank German white wine! German Riesling used to be more expensive than Bordeaux.

North Western Germany was the British occupied zone after WWII. I assume that relation is also a part. And before the noble families were also related. But as the Saxons, Jutes and Anglos came from northern Germany to settle in England, there is also a relation. The Carnival Season starts before the lent before Christmas on the 11th of November and lasts until the lent begins before Easter.

Karneval is always 40 days before easter. Around '1st spring fullmoon'

Besides the Saarland, Elsace and Lorraine have a similar history, belonging to Germany or France. Elsace-Lorraine is in France today, but retains many German Town names and it's Dialect of German. Strasbourg/Strassburg is perfect to be host to E.U. administrators, as it is very much a French/German town.

4:32 The host is from the UK, is married to a German and lives in Cologne. Hence the statement that she lives in West Germany / Cologne.

we have to do community things during the cold months, because during the warm months nobody is here, we are all in italy.

The Ahr valley is worth a visit and a wine tasting also. They are still recovering from severe floods in 2021, but the wine is their anchor and is outstanding. They grow red wine at it's finest

4:55 This is the Bergbau-Museum (coal mining museum) in my hometown Bochum. Glück auf from Bochum.

German Carnival, known as "Karneval" or "Fasching," has its roots in pre-Christian traditions. It originated as a festival marking the transition from winter to spring, celebrated by Germanic tribes (and that's why it's celebrated in February). With the spread of Christianity, the festival was adapted to coincide with the period before Lent, known as Shrovetide. Over time, Carnival evolved into a time of revelry, with elaborate parades, costumes, and street celebrations. Today, it is celebrated across Germany with each region having its own unique traditions and customs, but all sharing the common theme of indulgence before the solemnity of Lent.

Hi, Dwayne! Prince William came to Germany for the 70th anniversary of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. (5 years ago).The allies (here Great Britain) constructed this federal state after World War II. Hey, sometimes we wish, Karneval would start in April/ May or September because of the weather, but we are not in Brazil or the Caribbean, unfortunately. 🥶Cologne (germ. Köln) just has a town partnership with Rio de Janeiro! 😆🥳But somehow that's part of the charm. Everyone just has to keep warm together with a beer (sort: "Kölsch") and with "schunkeln".... It`s so nice to see Germany through the eyes of a foreigner. Thank you! 🤗

You should do a podcast on the Carribean, I would love to learn about the carnevals there and more than that.

Come to germany and feel you hugged from all germans. Ilive in the wineregion and you are very welcomed here. Here starts now everywhere in this region the winefestivals , you would love it.

I noticed that everybody sees Bavaria as the main Germany, we have so much more. For example: Did you know that King Richard I, named Richard Lionheart was in captivity (from 31. March bis till 19. April 1193) at Castle Trifels. (3 Castles close together on 3 Hills)? This is my Region. You see Germany has a lot more to offer than always the same schemes. Greetz

1:15 I wouldn’t go that far. The Roman influence in western Germany is almost invisible (at least in day-to-day life) However, Rheinland-Pfalz and the Saarland are quite francophile. Nordrhein-Westfalen might be closer to Belgium and the Netherlands. The German region that is the closest to the UK would be Bremen/Lower Saxony because of the language (This is where Old Saxon, the predecessor language of English has its origin ) and because of the weather and the tea-drinking culture

The region in Germany that has the best relation to England is actually the capital of Lower Saxony, Hannover. It was actually part of the kingdom of England.

Fun Fact: Dortmund and Leeds are twin cities since June 1969

I know I am late to the party here, but if you are interested in the German Techno movement, check out the documentary "WE CALL IT TECHNO!". I think its one of the best documentaries around and well worth a watch. Also, its available for free and in English! Btw, that interview part was shot in the Museum of Modern Electronic Music in Frankfurt. Well worth a visit!

everytime i hear something about germany, i am always thinking wtf did they all invent and wtf do they all have and so on. its literally mindblowing. everytime im sitting here, watching one of your videos, my eyes are getting bigger and bigger :D i love your reactions so much!

Kind regards from the Saarland - the state where I was born and where I still live. And yes, some of us speak French, because we learn it in school as the 1st foreign language from the age of 10, ahead of English. You can also see and feel the French influence on our region such as in architecture, food and lifestyle; especially in our capital Saarbrücken (our French neighbours call it Sarrebruck) and in the town of Saarlouis. A couple of decades ago when Germany was thinking about how to build "The house of Europe", we were already practising it with our beloved French neighbours! I love my Saarland❤ Thanks for watching and reacting to this video. Meilleurs souvenirs de la Sarre 👋

Trier is one of my favorite Citys in Germany i live 45min. away from it in the Gemstone Town of Idar-Oberstein between Saarland & Hessen in the Hunsrück Region

I am from the south of Germany, so maybe it's different for Cologne, but we celebrate Fastnacht (Carnival) in February because it's an ancient tradition to scare away the ghost of winter and welcome spring. Our carnival groups are mostly 'scary' groups, such as witches and the like, whereas carnival in Cologne (as far as I know) consists more of political imitations. Perhaps they have a different background, but I'm not sure.

The history of Carnival in Germany is rich and diverse, stretching back centuries. Originally, Carnival had pagan origins and was associated with fertility rites and winter expulsion celebrations. With the Christianization of Europe, these pagan customs were integrated into the Christian calendar. The modern Carnival in Germany evolved from medieval Shrovetide festivals held before the Lenten season. These festivals served as a final opportunity for revelry and indulgence before the upcoming period of fasting and abstinence. The timing of Carnival in February is tied to the date of Easter. Easter is a movable feast dependent on the spring full moon. The fasting periods, including the Lenten fast before Easter, were established around Easter's timing. Carnival takes place in the days and weeks leading up to the start of Lent, serving as a time of festive celebration and revelry before the period of austerity and penance. And there is the Allemannic Fasnacht in south of Germany. Carnival and Allemannic Fasnacht are two different types of carnival celebrations celebrated in various regions of Germany. While both festivals share some similarities, there are also distinct differences between them. Carnival is primarily celebrated in the Rhineland region, particularly in cities like Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz, as well as in parts of northern Germany. On the other hand, Allemannic Fasnacht is predominantly observed in the southwestern regions of Germany, including Swabia, the Black Forest, and adjacent areas of Switzerland and France. Carnival festivities typically take place in the days and weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday, with the highlight often falling on Rose Monday. Allemannic Fasnacht also occurs before Ash Wednesday but may start earlier and extend until Shrove Tuesday. Both festivals involve parades, costumes, masks (Witches, Devils and Demons), music, and dance, with specific characters and themes often portrayed. Allemannic Fasnacht is known for its diverse array of masks and costumes, including the use of wooden masks and handmade accessories, with traditions varying significantly from village to village. In Carnival, certain characters such as "Jecken" (jesters) in Cologne or "Funkenmariechen" (dance maidens) in many Rhineland regions are particularly prominent. Music and dance play integral roles in both celebrations, with Carnival songs like the "Kölsche Karnevals-Hit" being typical in the Rhineland, while Allemannic Fasnacht features traditional music styles like "Guggenmusik" (a type of brass band music). Carnival holds significant cultural importance in the regions where it is celebrated, often attracting tourists from around the world. Allemannic Fasnacht, while also culturally significant, may have less international recognition compared to Carnival but remains a vital part of local culture, contributing to the preservation of regional identity. Overall, both Carnival and Allemannic Fasnacht are significant cultural events in Germany with long-standing traditions, enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds.

Disney toned down the Grimm's fairy tales for their movies, but the Grimm brothers also doctored the original tales. They were even more gory and shocking before they became sanitized. Before that they were never meant to entertain children. They were meant for adults - basically the medieval version of today's Game of Thrones. And for some reason the Grimm brothers changed all the evil parents of the original tales into evil step-mothers. That's where the stereotype comes from.

the very first club named "Techno Club" opened in Frankfurt, back in 1984. It was a Club in a Club at the "No Name" Club, every Sunday afternoon. Most people been at Dorian Gray Club at the Airport on Saturday night and then went to the Techno Club on Sunday afternoon. Somehow it was like an "AfterAfterhour Club". At least I can't remember i slept between leaving Dorian Gray on Sunday mornngs and going to the Techno Club lol. Later the "Techno Club" moved to the "Dorian Gray" at the Frankfurt Airport and took place every Friday.

17:40 Around 1.175 million hectoliters of German wine are exported to over 100 countries worldwide.

Well your troops have been stationed in the West of Germany for quite a while, too. They've been in my district until like 2020 or some time around that. Also, that Carnival is the religious date for it, just around Rose Monday through Ash Wednesday, before Lent for Easter, that's why it's so early in the year 😊

To see my own country through foreigner eyes is incredible to me. That let me see Germany in an other light and I feel proud of germany. That's not something that comes easily to a German

Carneval was a traditionel Festival before Lenz

German Carnival, also known as Fasching or Fasnacht in other regions, is intended to usher in the forty-day period of fasting before Easter, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Before giving up delicious food and alcohol, people should celebrate and eat properly once again. For example, preserved food that will not keep until after Easter will be eaten or prepared and served. It is a mishmash of historical feasts and also has to do with the exorcism of winter.

The "Ruhrpott" is essentially the german version of Sheffield. Many similarities in history and economical background.

In Saarland, people speak German. Some of them can speak French, but I don't think it's so many more than everywhere else in Germany. When you cross the border there, near Saarbrücken, there are much more French people speaking German (or the local Franconian dialect) than Germans speaking French. However, they've kept a few French words in their vocabulary that other Germans usually don't understand, like "rideaux" (curtains), "paraplé" (parapluie, umbrella), "chaise longue" (long chair, sofa), "trottoir" (sidewalk)... Like he says.

carnival in order to drive the winter away

Carnival celebrates the last days before the forty day period of lent before easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. So the time in which Carnival takes place is based on easter. Good for those who live in worm countries. Others have to keep worm with alcohol.

Greetings from Rhineland-Palatinate, where you can find the best wine, and the most beautiful women 😄😉❤ love your reactions

Here in Northrhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, we have had the British Forces, and in a lot of other Towns too. We like the people from the UK. Here in the Altstadt we have a lot of Pups packed with Brits. Nice and interesting videos. Greets.

Hessian apple wine (Ebbelwoi) cannot be compared with British cider, I would personally say. If you ever come to the region, you have to try the local cider. Every village has its own cider, made by various farmers or garden owners with orchards. ...and as a little tip, if you are not used to it and drink too much, the toilet will call your name very loudly at some point - at the latest the following day :)

If you like white wine and drink it often, you'll come across Riesling for sure

Hessia not only has apple wine, but other wine varieties as well. Riesling, white wine, red wine. I don't drink myself, but I grew up hiking between the vineyards ♥ I am from the "Bergstraße" in Hessia. Translated it would be mountain road. If you walked through the city park, you ended up in the vineyards and walking past them you could hike in the forest or have something to eat and to drink at the top while having a wonderful view around the area. We often went there with out school, but I was hiking with a friend as well. Just walking around, seeing the sights and talk. Bensheim even has the "Winzerfest". It's a wine fest in early september. It's running for 10 days (friday evening until sunday next week) and there are rides, games, a lot of food and of course lots of wine (and beer). one day we even have the Martinimarkt. ( Lots of pop up stands with stuff like cleaning supplies, clothes, cook- and dishware, house textiles, jewelery, self made things like bee wax candles, handmade wood toys and lots and lots more) It has pretty fireworks on one day as well. I remember sitting with a friend between the winestalks and watching it I no longer live there (still in Hessia, though xD), but these are all loved memories of mine. Hiking in the vineyards with friends, having fun at the Winzerfest, and such

Catholicism has a time of 40 days when you should say bye bye to meat or in Latin: Carne (meat) vale hence Carnival before Easter Sunday.😁

01:13 Indeed we have. An other reason, why the British Army of the Rhine had exist for over 50 years and a lot of British soldiers lived in Germany. And don`t forget: the British King family have German roots..😉

For the Brother Grimm stories, i find it sooo "funny" when this days people are up in arms because of the new Snowwhite movie and that its so untrue to the original or whatever when they don't even know the original and that the 1930s version for sure also didn't had much to do with that and was already and watered down version.

There is a museum for electronic music (MOMEM) in Frankfurt. Greetings from Frankfurt to Leeds, where my husband and I spent a holiday week in 2019.

You never know Frankfurt Techno. Come to the biggest Club of the World. Soccer stadium Frankfurt 200k Clubbers, 25 Stages, 250 Artists. It's the " World Club Dome" founded in Frankfurt

We here in Hamburg have a very good relation to England. We even have a Angelican Church and ofc. Fish n Chips Restaurants. It went so far, that after the WW2 was over e went to the British Government and begged them to be ruled by the Brittish instead of the USA. The Brittish went to the US authorities and exchanged some parts of the occupied German teretory for Hamburg. Thats why the (R.I.P) Qeen visited us several times.

Have you ever heard of "Hock"? Hock is the english name for german white wine from the river Main region. There is a town called Hochheim, which gave the name Hock. This town was visited by Queen Victoria in 1845. By the way, it's my birth town and it is 30 km to Frankfurt. In England was or maybe is a saying: A good Hock keeps off the doc!

Caribbean background too 🎉

It not just Frankfurt - it’s Berlin too- and some other Cities.

*Lower Saxony* german federal state, is the Homeland of *Saxon* who founded Ængland with the Angles together, while the Saxon had most say bout their language *"Old low German"* which is = Old Saxon _Old_ Ænglish is a *"Old low German"* Dialect.

Cider: I once tried British cider at an "Irish pub" in a German town which was actually run by a Brit, and it gave me the acid reflux you were mentioning. I stayed with Kilkenny and Guiness, the beers I liked, and I'm Bavarian, so I know good beer. I was a regular at that pub because on weekends, they often had good bands playing, but that was years ago, and they had to close because of some German laws regarding noise and safety. They had permission to host 100 guests, but there often were 300 or more when a band was playing, and as smoking was still allowed in pubs back then, you can imagine what the "air" was like. I have to stop here or else I'll get into a rant about modern rules and "safety" regulations, it has become crazy.

Top Video, nur nebenbei heißt es Saarland (frz. Sarre), nicht Zaland ;)

Germania Magna and the Scottish part (border called Limes) where never occupied by the romans

If you are interested in Karneval. Read about the wild hunt.

If you like (especially white) wine you might also like northern Bavaria (vineyards among the Main river = wine region of franconia) and eastern Austria ("Weinviertel").

Techno did not start in Britain. lol It started in the early 1980s; Britian followed this trend in 1988. Even the name is German.

funny somehow it seems like i missed part 3

Yes, we are brothers and sisters and in the beginning we were all made of the dust of two coliding nutron stars. We are stardust. You like sweet german techno music? Where are your routs in the caribian? I am Techno DJ and in the 90's we spend our honymoon in Antigua.I had a big Gettoblaster and we hab realy the best parties with the nicest people in the world. Techno and Reaggy goes well together. Come to Germany and try a techno party. This will be an expirience that you can't forget for the rest of your life

Greetings from Dortmund in the Ruhr Area. It's great here.

Germany has a very big wine culture. There are - I think - 13 wine- growing regions here, most of them in the South and South-East and certainly and most important the South- West (Baden-Württemberg). Multiple wine feasts complete their importance for these regions. There are surroundings where wine is overpowering and everything. But unfortunately there is the beer as well and most of the people like it better, apart from the wine- growing regions of course. 😂 But beer took over, so that nowadays Germany is much better known for its beer than its wine. A mistake, I would say.

Probably alot more in italy - but yes maybe a few from England

You can party everywhere:Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, I think, every city has its own vibe. Oh , I forgot:Westerland auf Sylt, the party island😀(I loved the song 'Westerland by 'Die Ärzte')

When u love Castles...watch a video on youtube about the "Mittelrheintal". Its the Area in Germany that have the most and best catles...in about a 100km area :D

Frankfurt is hardcore !!!

And both Britain and Germany had a wall that separated the Roman-occupied territories of these countries from those "Barbarian" tribes north of it. In Britain it was the "Hadrian's Wall" and in Germania" it was the "Limes".

We have some decent wines.

Trier is not the oldest city in Germany. It is “only” around 2000 years old. Worms, on the other hand, is around 7,000 years old.

I drink My Äppelwein with Coca Cola .

The West is the best ❤🤍💚 We are more related to the Netherlands / Limburg and the dialects are part of the Frankonian dialect group. The problem of NRW is that all the money goes into the Pott. Other areas like the lower rhine area and other surrounding areas are suffering. Berlin had nothing to do with Techno, they had Berlin (House). After the unification Berlin took up many good things from all over Germany to attract more people.

13:28 There's a video by Feli from Germany about a few German fairy tales. I would recommend watching it

Hesse has a rich history Prince Philipp's sister was a grand duchess of Hesse Darmstadt the last tsarina of Russia was a princess of Hesse Darmstadt an element from the periodic table was named after Darmstadt and much more

...Funkadelic, Sinkkasten, Omen, Dorian Gray and so on... those were the days in Frankfurt. ;)

What many countries envy about Germany, including France and England or other countries in Europe. In Germany it is not so central. Every city and/or federal state has its own center as to what, how, where, what kind of art is in art, e.g. Cologne is the capital at xy, it is Munich etx. It's different in many countries, almost everything is concentrated in one place. In France, for example Paris, there is basically nothing else and in the UK it's London. What happens in Edinburgh hardly bothers anyone. That clearly depends on the scene in question, but they are usually drawn to the capital, which is less the case here.

Dwayne, I see a wine hike in Germany in your future. What do you say?

Why Karneval ( not carnival) in February? Oh, Dwayne, o Dwayne… all the extravaganza must take place before Ash Wednesday because that’s the start of lent, the catholic time of 40 days fasting before Easter (all the Karnevals are in regions that used to be predominantly catholic) and Karneval is the catholic people’s way to get around of what a legalistic religion requires - or outright spit into the face of the church hierarchy. And BTW we are very aware that there are carnivals in Rio and Mardi Gras in New Orleans…. But really….? Oh Dwayne, nothing NOTHING in the world compares to Karneval in Köln.

Really just cousins? Greetings to Wesses, Sussex and Essex from a female Saxon. 😉

1:56 oh, oops. And I used to sing: "Viva Goloria". Ok, in my defence, I have to say I was tight-lipped. Completely drunk.😂

the Dorian Gray is under the Airport Yes was there 1994 and the OMEN few Years later

Carnival is actually a pagan custom: to drive away winter. This custom was then mixed with the Christian custom: the subsequent Lent. Why carnival is most popular and most celebrated along the Rhine may have something to do with the French occupation at the time of Napoleon. Napoleon allowed traditions and customs to be practiced. Carnival also includes satire and biting jokes about those in power which is why until today it includes satirical and humorous comedic speeches. As a sort of highlight back then, girls were put into uniforms that looked similar to those of the French, and these "guards" then danced - in order to make fun of the French occupiers. This can still be found at carnival meetings today. Example: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rubx4MWSgys.html

6:09 actually not. This is a veryyy flattering portrayal of the Ruhrpott. The cities there are still among the poorest in Germany and have the highest unemployment rates, the people there have the most debt, and in general the infrastructure is quite run-down. There are also many ghettos with a high crime rate,… But since it’s in western Germany, they brushed that under the carpet whereas in the other video they had to emphasise that eastern Germany has such a high unemployment rate and is so poor and stuff which is not even true 😂