Max Weber Blog's

Each year, on November 11 at exactly 11 minutes past 11 marks the kick-off of Carnival in Cologne, Germany. On this mid-November day, residents come out of their houses in all sorts of costumes and run along the streets, often heading downtown, loaded up with beer and liquor and ready to meet up with other revelers to get the festival started. Carnival is more than just a tradition in the city; it's part of Cologne's cultural identity.


Carnival has been celebrated in the City of Cologne since time immemorial. Over the years, decades and centuries certain traditions and customs emerged, which are still the hallmark of the traditional Cologne Carnival: the indoor festivities (sessions and balls) and, of course, the street carnival, culminating in the grand parade on Rose Monday. It is the task of the Festival Committee, the umbrella organization representing well over 100 Cologne carnival associations, traditional corps, etc., to coordinate, set common standards, and preserve the tradition of the "fifth season".

If you ever plan to visit Italy during the month of June, reserve at least a day for the town of Genzano, to see the famous Infiorata Flower Festival. Each year, during the month of June, local artists cover the entire street of Belardo with a floral carpet with patterns inspired by religious art, shapes and famous paintings.

For more than 2 centuries (from 1778) on Sunday and Monday following Corpus Christus feast the Infiorata a most suggestive manifestation of art, pride of the artists of Genzano has taken place. Each year the artists suggestions must conform to a previously agreed upon theme, such as The Colours of Michelangelo, or The Designs of Bernini.

The carpet stays for two full days. On the third day, their work is demolished by local schoolchildren, who are permitted to wreak havoc!

Hyde Park was infiltrated by a staggering, shambling horde on October 23, as participants in the Sydney Zombie Walk held an annual gathering. Brisbane also hosted a zombie walk the same day, and in a separate event in Melbourne, Victorian zombies joined zombies in other cities around the world hoping to break the record of 25,000 dancers.
The first zombie walk was held in the summer of 2001 in Sacramento, California. The Sydney version first took place in 2006.











Photo: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images, joelzilla, automatnight