11th November, at 11.11AM

On the above date, 11.11. at 11.11 Canadians and Americans, and maybe some other countries, commemorate the End of 
World War I.
In Canada it was (is it still?) the custom to cease whatever you were doing and, in silence, commemorate the millions who died during this brutal, insane struggle. On this day, at 11AM all activities would stop, Radio Broadcasts would fall silent, church bells would toll, all for one minute, and people would stop and think.

It was with some surprise that I noticed that Austrians and Germans consider this exact date and time as the beginning of their Carnival Season. (Although the official commencement of "Fasching" is not until 2nd February.)

Austria and Germany, who took the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, in Sarajevo, as the excuse to start WWI, consider this a fun filled date, while other countries, sorrowfully  think of their dead. 

Go, figure.

Bertstravels
can just shake his head.