Do any old-timers here in Germany remember a year in the past when the Monday following the Super Bowl happened to coincide with Rosenmontag? What a wonderful day to take off from work!

If you can swing it, why not shuffle out of bed in time to catch a carnival or Fasching parade? Many of them start at 11:11 a.m., or 11 minutes past another hour of the day, the significance of this number being that the official start to the carnival season is Nov. 11, or 11/11. Carnival’s closing is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, so you have only a very limited time to catch the fun. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 6.

Perhaps you’ve already seen Stripes list of Fasching events but didn’t see the festivities of your own small town or village listed. Despair not: There is a way to find out what’s going on, in even the smaller places. One place to turn is the ever-reliable tourist information site for whatever “Land” you presently call home.

Here are some lists of carnival events for your perusal:

Baden-Württemberg

Bavaria (ski areas only)

Hessen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Rhineland-Palatinate

In the past I have attended and enjoyed Frankfurt’s parade, although a word to the uninitiated -- beware that the candy and trinkets that are tossed from the floats can actually pack quite a sting when they hit your body. Kids will enjoy scooping up the loot, so bring a shopping bag in which to gather up your treasures. Also, it’s cold out there, just standing around for hours. Dress accordingly.

If you can’t get off on Monday, there are many events going on all weekend, including parades on Sunday in Bad Wimpfen, Cologne, Dieburg, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Frieburg, Heppenheim, Hirschhorn, Ludwigshafen, Schramberg, Seligenstadt, Triberg or Wiesbaden – just to name a few.

Do you have a favorite carnival of Fasching event that you look forward to every year?