| Rosenmontag | |
|---|---|
 Families and children in costumes, Rosenmontag 2009 in Aachen | |
| Significance | Highlight of Karneval before Lent |
| Date | Monday before Ash Wednesday |
| 2023 date | 20 February |
| 2024 date | 12 February |
| 2025 date | 3 March |
| 2026 date | 16 February |
| Frequency | annual |
Rosenmontag (German: [ˌʁoːznˈ̩moːntaːk] , English: Rose-Monday[1]) is the highlight of the German Karneval (carnival), and takes place on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.[2] Mardi Gras, though celebrated on Fat Tuesday, is a similar event. Rosenmontag is celebrated in German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium (Eupen, Kelmis), but most heavily in the carnival strongholds which include the Rhineland, especially in Cologne,[3] Bonn, Düsseldorf,[4] Aachen and Mainz.[5] In contrast to Germany, in Austria, the highlight of the carnival is not Rosenmontag, but Shrove Tuesday.
The name for the carnival comes from the German dialect word roose meaning "frolic" and Montag meaning Monday.[1]
- ^ a b "Rosenmontag 2018: What is it and how is it celebrated?". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Shrove Monday in Germany". timeanddate.com. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Karneval revellers brave chilly rain for Rosenmontag parade". AFP/thelocal.de. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009.
- ^ Riedemann, Margaret. "Rose Monday Parade – Carnival Monday in Duesseldorf". Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Abrams, Michael (31 January 2013). "Mainz: Colorful Rosenmontag parade is the highlight of Fastnacht". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.