Revive Alaaf: Candy for the eyes, furniture for the heart

Feb 15, 2026

Three cheers for Cologne, today is Carnival Sunday!

Here in the Rhineland, the carnival spirit is in full swing. The bad weather certainly isn't dampening the spirits of the local revelers. The streets are filled with colorful costumes, lively music, and boundless joie de vivre.

But where does Carnival actually come from? The name is often explained by the subsequent Lenten season: "carne vale" means something like "farewell to meat." Exuberant parades were already known to the ancient Greeks. The Germanic tribes also celebrated the winter solstice extensively. Later, Christianity adopted many of these customs and transformed them into the festival before Lent.
Under French rule, carnival festivities in Cologne were initially permitted. Under the later Prussian regime, however, restrictions were tightened, and street carnivals nearly died out. Consequently, the first official carnival society, which remains active to this day, was founded in 1823.
The first Rose Monday parade took place in Cologne on February 10, 1823. And 200 years later, we're still celebrating the festival!

Incidentally, Carnival isn't only celebrated in our country. In Rio de Janeiro, it becomes a huge samba parade, in Venice a masked festival, and in New Orleans it's called Mardi Gras. And in Europe, almost every region has its own unique style, from the Carnival in Tenerife to the many forms of Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras in German-speaking countries.

And when you think about it, we at Revive fit the Cologne Basic Law pretty well. Without Article 2: Et kütt wie et kütt (It comes as it comes) and Article 3: Et hätt noch emmer joot jejange (It's always turned out alright so far), we might never have had the nerve to build our small startup through all the storms into the large ship that sails the sea of furniture today.

My favorite rule, however, is: To each their own . We at Revive take this to heart. Our furniture consists of carefully selected, unique pieces with character. And in the case of my personal favorite brand, Bretz , these pieces are often wonderfully colorful and quirky. Furthermore, our consultations are tailored to your individual needs and preferences, and we will find the perfect piece of furniture for your personal oasis of well-being .

We're open during Carnival and, of course, throughout the subsequent Lenten season until Easter. Feel free to visit us virtually or in person at our showroom and book an appointment !

Below this blog post I have compiled my carnival highlights for you: wonderfully cheerful pieces of furniture that make my Rhineland heart beat faster these days.