The Rose Monday Parade is the highlight of Germany's carnival celebrations, particularly in cities like Cologne, Dusseldorf and Mainz.
It is held on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and features extravagant floats, costumed performers, marching bands, and satirical displays mocking political and social events.
The parade marks the peak of the 'Fifth Season', a time of revelry before Lent begins.
IMAGE: A carnival float depicting US President Donald Trump holding the Statue of Liberty and Lady Justice on a leash is presented ahead of the Rose Monday Carnival parade in Cologne, February 25, 2025. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Trump ahead of the traditional Rose Monday Carnival parade in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Trump and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hitting Putin with a 'love hammer' in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Elon Musk and AfD leader Alice Weidel in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting German politicians Alice Weidel of AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht of the BSW and Vladimir Putin with text implying, 'From Russia with Love' in Cologne, here and below. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Free Democratic Party leader and former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Olaf Scholz and Robert Habeck in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting sick people and German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting sick people and Karl Lauterbach with text reading, 'Love is the best medicine' and 'Hospital closed' in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting Red Bull's Global Head of Soccer Juergen Klopp in Mainz. Photograph: Timm Reichert/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting a peace dove in bandages in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting a commuter waiting too long for a Deutsche Bahn train in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting a hand from a church beckoning to an altar boy in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float depicting an exchange between Gen-Z and Boomers in Cologne. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
IMAGE: A float is presented ahead of the traditional Rose Monday Carnival parade in Cologne, here and below. Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
Photograph: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
