Carnival of Fools

Are you sure there are four seasons?
But in the western Catholic part of Germany along the banks of the Rhine, there is definitely a Fifth!
This is exactly what they call the period of the fun carnival week, which, like the Russian Maslenitsa, precedes Lent.
If in the Swiss German-speaking Basel the carnival has a mystical character, then to the north it is playfully hooligan. However, everywhere it is interpreted as a holiday of fools (jesters, eccentrics) - Narren.
The next official season begins long before the carnival, namely on the 11th of the 11th month at 11 hours 11 minutes. At that moment, specially brought grandmother's alarm clocks start ringing in the schoolchildren's bags, which shocks inexperienced teachers.
And the traditional gatherings of carnival societies begin. At the laid tables with drinks and refreshments, to carnival songs, sketches and dances, the Prince of Carnival or the Prince of Fools is chosen, although his power is limited to one year. The gallery of previous princes in costumes and without, young and old, cheerful and sad, is closely watching this from their portraits, because the Carnival tradition has a century-old history.
The carnival calendar includes "Pink Monday" (Rosenmontag) - the day of the apogee of the procession, "Violet Tuesday" (Veilchendienstag) and "Ash Wednesday" (Aschermittwoch) - the day when the holiday ends.
The carnival starts on Fat Thursday. This Friday night and day belongs to the witches. At this time, all women are witches, by definition. The hooligan traditions of the carnival include the permissibility, not to say duty, for a woman (witch) to cut a man's tie, as a symbol of deprivation of his manhood. This makes it dangerous to wear expensive ties on this day, and men, even respectable chiefs of banks and offices, sport colorful and cheap "rags" around their necks.
At the same magical 11 hours and 11 minutes, a crowd of fools gathers near the Rathaus (City Council) building. Ahead is the prince in a cap with a long feather and the indispensable Marichen in a skirt and a cocked hat, surrounded by the guards of the prince and his retinue. A few shots, the smell of gunpowder and a frightened burgomaster hands over the Keys to the city to cheerful invaders. Fools rule before the end of the carnival. This symbolic seizure of power seems to correspond to the "second self" (alter ego) of the masses. The secret desire to overthrow someone and to "steer" at least a little has been realized. Everyone goes to drink beer and celebrate the victory.

(continued here http://puzzleit.ru/puzzles/view/103328)