11.11 carnival in Germany: At 11:11, tens of thousands of people pack Cologne's Heumarkt, in Düsseldorf the jester figure Hoppeditz is woken up, and on Mainz's Schillerplatz the new season – the "Kampagne", as it's called there – is proclaimed. You don't have to be in the middle of the crowd for it: the toast works just as well in your living room, the office kitchen or the clubhouse. Where the date comes from, how to get the countdown right at home and what the rest of the day brings, you'll find below.
Last updated: 10 September 2026
What is 11.11 in German carnival?
11 November is the official start of the carnival season – Germany's "fifth season" – which runs until Ash Wednesday. At exactly 11:11 it opens in the carnival strongholds, with a countdown, costumes and the season's first "Alaaf" or "Helau", the traditional carnival cries. After that things go largely quiet; until the end of the year there are only a few sessions, the formal carnival club evenings. From January come proclamations, sessions and parties, until Women's Carnival Day (Weiberfastnacht) opens the street carnival.
💡 For the moment itself: if there are four of you, raise the Shotski together – that way the first sip of the season hits everyone at the same instant.
Why Does German Carnival Start on 11.11 at 11:11?
In carnival, eleven is the fools' number. It sits one above the Ten Commandments and one below the twelve apostles – just off, in other words, which suits a time when the usual order is turned upside down. The Council of Eleven (Elferrat), which has chaired the sessions in many carnival clubs since the 19th century, comes from the same logic. That's why the season begins on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, at 11:11 on the dot.
You'll often hear a second explanation: E-L-F (elf is German for eleven) as an abbreviation of Égalité, Liberté, Fraternité, the slogan of the French Revolution, which the Rhineland got to know during the French period. Historically, this counts as more of a legend – even the order of the letters doesn't fit. It sticks around anyway because it suits carnival so well: under the fool's cap, everyone is equal. And anyone counting down at 11:10 doesn't need proof anyway.
The day has long since outgrown the Rhineland. In the Netherlands it's called "Elfde van de Elfde". In Den Bosch in particular it's now as packed as carnival itself, and Breda, Tilburg and Roermond celebrate in a big way too – since 2020, Roermond has hosted the big Limburg opening. The countdown is a German and Dutch custom; in the UK, 11am on 11 November belongs first of all to the two-minute silence of Armistice Day.
The Toast at Home: Getting the Countdown Right
The moment itself lasts two seconds – which is exactly why a little preparation pays off. With this timeline it works even with a group that isn't quite awake at eleven in the morning:
- 11:00: Put the glasses out, chill the drinks, turn the music down.
- 11:05: One person takes charge of the countdown and sets their phone clock to show seconds. Everyone else picks up their glass.
- 11:10:49: Count the last eleven seconds out loud together. Eleven, not ten – that much fools' logic is a must.
- 11:11: Everyone raises their glass at the same time, then comes your region's carnival cry.
Doing it at the same time is what turns a drink in the morning into a kick-off your group will still be talking about in February. That's what a Shotski is built for: four people drink from the same wooden ski, and because that only works in time with each other, the group syncs up by itself. With the SwigSki3000®, four modules make exactly one metre; if more people join, extension sets make the row longer. The ski boot shot glasses hold whatever the group likes – from fruit schnapps to alcohol-free sparkling wine or apple juice. If you'd rather toast individually, go for the ski boot shot glasses with bindings in a set of four.
If You're Heading Into Town Afterwards
Heading into a city centre after the toast? Many carnival cities restrict glass on 11.11 – check the local rules before you pack any glasses. What to put in your bag instead is in our checklist Cologne Carnival: what to bring.
German Carnival Costume Ideas for the Kick-Off
On 11.11 hardly anyone wears the big Rose Monday costume – the day is the warm-up lap of the season, and by the afternoon lots of people are back at their desks. A hat, a wig or a piece from last year is enough. What works best is whatever's quick to put on and take off: a clown nose, a clown wig, a colourful waistcoat over your shirt.
If your theme leans towards a mountain hut, the ski jacket from the loft is the obvious choice – ideas from the ski instructor to the piste basher driver are collected in our guide to apres ski fancy dress. If you're already planning as a crew for Women's Carnival Day, our guide to group fancy dress ideas for 4 will help. And at a fancy dress party at home, the glass itself becomes part of the costume: the shot glass necklace hangs on a cord around your neck, so nobody is frantically searching for their glass at 11:10.
What Comes After 11:11
At 11:12 the group stands there wondering: now what? So plan the rest of the day as well. A late breakfast always works – in the Rhineland, jam doughnuts are part of it, with last season's hits on the speaker. If you've got the morning off, watch the WDR livestream from Cologne's Heumarkt and head out later.
For the afternoon in costume, pick games nobody needs to explain for long. The classics for a group in fancy dress are in our German carnival party games for adults, variations with a carnival cry and costume rules in our German carnival drinking games. And if the kick-off turns into a proper party, our German carnival party plan will help.
11.11 in the Office: Short, Together, Alcohol-Free
In 2026, 11 November falls on a Wednesday. It's not a public holiday in Germany; in the UK it's Armistice Day, a normal working day with the two-minute silence at 11am. For teams it's still a handy date: the toast takes less than five minutes, then it's back to your desk. In the office, the glass gets something alcohol-free – alcohol-free sparkling wine, grape juice or sparkling apple juice. The afternoon stays productive, and nobody has to explain why they're not drinking.
It's quick to organise: one person invites everyone to the office kitchen for 11:05, someone brings doughnuts, and anyone who fancies it puts on a clown nose. If colleagues are working from home, count down together on a video call. Five minutes at the coffee machine often bring more departments together than a long-planned team event.
At 11 in the Morning: What Goes in the Glass
11:11 is mid-morning, and Ash Wednesday is a long way off. That's why many people deliberately make the first toast alcohol-free or stick to a single glass. What's in the glass is everyone's own call – in a ski boot glass, sparkling apple juice looks just as much like carnival as anything else. What counts in the countdown is that everyone drinks at the same time, not what they drink.
If you're planning more than that one moment, put water and something to eat on the table before the first guests in costume ring the doorbell. And anyone driving later sticks to alcohol-free – it's still a kick-off.
Sources: City of Cologne, "Sicher feiern am 11.11." (stadt-koeln.de); Brauchwiki, "Narrenzahl Elf" (brauchwiki.de); Wikipedia, "Karnevalssession"; NOS, report on the Elfde van de Elfde, 8 November 2025 (nos.nl).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does German carnival start on 11.11 at 11:11?
Eleven is considered the fools' number – one more than the Ten Commandments, one fewer than the twelve apostles. That's why the season begins on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at 11:11. Reading E-L-F as Égalité, Liberté, Fraternité is widespread, but it counts as more of a legend.
When does the 2026/27 carnival season end?
On Ash Wednesday, 10 February 2027. Women's Carnival Day falls on 4 February, Rose Monday on 8 February 2027.
Is 11.11 a public holiday?
No, 11 November is not a public holiday in Germany – in 2026 it falls on a Wednesday. In the UK it's Armistice Day, a normal working day with the two-minute silence at 11am. If you want to join in, take the day off or have a quick toast in the office at 11:11, ideally alcohol-free.
How many people fit on a Shotski?
The standard Shotski has four places. Extension sets make the row longer; the modules simply slot together.
Does everyone have to drink schnapps for the toast?
No. What counts in the countdown is that everyone drinks at the same time – whether with schnapps, alcohol-free sparkling wine or juice is everyone's own call.
Is 11.11 celebrated in the Netherlands too?
Yes, as "Elfde van de Elfde", mainly in Brabant and Limburg. In Den Bosch the day is now as packed as carnival itself, and Breda, Tilburg and Roermond celebrate in a big way too.