FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 - Opening Ceremony 1/4The ceremony began with a boys chorus entering the stadium and performing a short cantata. Inmediatly, 182 bavarian drummers performed while the announcers greeted everyone in the stadium for the beggining of the FIFA World Cup in Germany, at the Munich Allianz Arena.
The rite of whipcracking was performed. The Aperschnalzen is an old tradition of competitive whipcracking revived in the first half of the 20th century. The word "aper" means "area free of snow", and it has been thought that this tradition had a pagan meaning of "driving the winter away" by whipcracking.
A boy and a girl, riding a bicycle, entered the stadium until reaching the center. Then, the boy, carrying a trumpet, performed a fanfare, while all the floor was transformed into a giant red stage. A huge banner suspended by scaffolding at the top of the stadium unfurled to say 'Welcome', while actors entered.
