It's "Roosemondaach" in Cologne, the most important day in the Carnival season, which lasts from 11th November until Ash Wednesday (17th February this year).

Over the last few days, Germany's Rhineland region went crazy, with carnival meetings, music and parades everywhere. There were concerts, and speeches, loads of jokes and on Thursday "Altweiber", women took over most towns with the mayor symbolically handing over the town keys, and all tie-wearing men got their ties cut by the girls. The main event will be today's "Rosenmontagszug" in Cologne, the hometown of German carnival. The streets will be closed off, and millions of people will line the streets, waiting for the colourful floats to pass by and hopefully catch a few sweets that are thrown into the crowd. The "Dreigestirn" will be there, accompanied by "Funkemariechen" dancers, marching bands and hundreds of people in colourful and imaginative costumes. Carnival is a time to have fun, to be whoever you want to be.

If you're trying to catch any of the sweets and candy "Kamelle", as it's called in Cologne, try this trick we all used when we were kids: Open an umbrella and hold it upside down!

"Kölle Alaaf", or, if you're from Solingen like me "Solig lot jonn" everyone, because: "D'r Zoch kütt!"