Germans get goofy at carnival time

A carnival reveller dressed as a clown celebrates the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A carnival reveller dressed as a pig uses a phone during the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. Advertising reads Super Cheep, calls up from 5 euro cents (6.9 US cents). (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Carnival revellers kiss each other, as they celebrate the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Carnival revellers dressed as giraffes eat a sausage while they celebrate the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Carnival revellers celebrate the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Carnival evellers celebrate the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Carnival revellers stand in front of the Cologne cathedral while they celebrate the start of the street carnival with its tradition of fools entering the town halls and women cutting off men's ties with scissors on carnival's so called Old Women's Day in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The Old Women's Day is traditionally the beginning of street carnival, the foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A man in fancy dress reacts during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013.The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rose Monday.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Clowns pose in front of a carnival float depicting a Greek person painting a mustache on the face of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013.The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rose Monday. Word on the arm at left reads Greece. Words on German flag read You must save money. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Korean women perform during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013.The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rose Monday.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)