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Carnival season opens in Cologne with tens of thousands of costumed revellers

Carnival begins every year at 11:11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month. Cologne is the epicentre of the parties in Germany, but other cities like Dusseldorf also erupt into tomfoolery. After November 11, the season percolates for a few months in the more Catholic parts of Germany, culminating in a week of parades and parties before Ash Wednesday in February.

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Germany's Carnival season opened on Friday with tens of thousands of costumed revellers turning out onto the streets and pubs of the western city of Cologne to make merry in a tradition that goes back at least hundreds of years.