It’s Fat Thursday (in Germany) by the way and the Carnival season has just begun! Some say the Carnival is the fifth season of the year in certain places in Germany, especially in the region around Cologne, where schools and shops are closed for the day. That’s how serious people around here are into the Carnival season!

The highlight on a Fat Thursday is that males that wear neckties today will (with their permission) have their ties mercilessly cut off by females! So men will usually and purposely wear old-looking or cheap, hand-me-down ties on Fat Thursday for them to be cut-off. Even bosses are not excluded! I’ll never forget the moment when the secretary told me that the boss is waiting for someone to cut his tie off and it was my turn to do it last year. I was absolutely shocked at first but come to think about it, it’s probably once in a life time experience thingy, to cut off your boss’s tie!

The tie is still on display at my desk.