Family Ties

[Mainz, Germany; February 11. Image via Getty]

This combo of photos shows carnival fools posing for a photo during the so-called women’s carnival (Weiberfastnacht) in the western German city of Mainz on February 11, 2010. Thousands of women snipped off the ties of men in Germany’s Rhine region to mark the traditional start of a week of beer-soaked carnival festivities. Carnival is a tradition stemming from Catholic regions in the west and south of Germany, but it has increasingly been adopted by cities in the north and east. AFP PHOTO DDP / TORSTEN SILZ GERMANY OUT (Photo credit should read TORSTEN SILZ/AFP/Getty Images)