The word
"Carnival" refers to the numerous festivities that occur in many
Catholic cities every year prior to the Lenten season. These festivals often
last several days or weeks and are widely popular celebrations of local history
and culture. Residents and visitors prepare for Carnival festivities throughout
the year. Revelers both young and old can enjoy numerous organized activities
or party in the city streets with their families, friends, community members,
and strangers.
Religious and Historical
Significance of Carnival
Lent is the Catholic
season that represents the forty days prior to Jesus' death on Good Friday and
his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which usually
falls in February. On certain days of Lent, Catholics are supposed to abstain from
eating meat as a physical and spiritual reminder of Jesus' sacrifices. The word
"Carnival" likely originates from the Latin term "carne
levare," or "to remove meat." On the day before Ash Wednesday
(Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday,") many Catholics ate all of the meat and
fat in their homes, and held large parties in the streets as one last
celebration before the penitential Lenten season. It is a time when all social
classes could disguise themselves, congregate, and forget their usual
tribulations. Carnival originated in largely Catholic Southern Europe and spread
to the Americas during the age of exploration and colonization.
Carnival Traditions,
Similar and Distinctive
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Carnival in Venice, Italy
Photo credits: flickr |
All places that celebrate
Carnival have generally the same activities, but each Carnival is infused with
elements of local culture. During both and night, revelers in the streets
listen to music and dance, eat, and drink. Many cities hold balls and
masquerades. The main tradition of Carnival includes parades through the city
streets. Many cities hold parades with floats, which are enormous, decorated
vehicles that can carry dozens of riders, who often wear very elaborate,
colorful costumes and masks. Parades usually have themes, which often parody
current local political and social problems.
What follows are some of the world's most famous and popular
Carnival celebrations.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is home to the world's most famous
Carnival and what many people consider to be the world's biggest and best
party. The basis of Rio's Carnival are the samba schools,
which are social clubs named after the famous Brazilian samba dance.
Samba schools are based in different neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, and
rivalry among them is fierce. Members work throughout the year to create the best
themes, floats, costumes, and dance performances. Over the four day
celebration, schools parade and compete against each other in the Sambadrome, a
building that can hold 60,000 spectators. Millions of people also party
throughout the city, even on Rio's famous beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana is home to Mardi Gras, the most popular Carnival in the
United States. Dozens of social clubs, called "krewes," parade
through the streets of New Orleans over a six week period. The people on the
floats or on horseback throw small presents to the spectators, such as beads,
plastic cups, and stuffed animals. Revelers party in the city's French Quarter.
Mardi Gras still occurs annually, even after Hurricane Katrina impacted the city in
2005.
Trinidad and Tobago
The two small islands of Trinidad and Tobago are known for having
the best Carnival in the Caribbean Sea. Trinidad's Carnival has been influenced
by African cultures due to the slave trade hundreds of years ago. On the two
days before Ash Wednesday, revelers dance in the streets to the sounds of calypso music and steelpan
drums.
Venice, Italy
Since the 12th century,
Venice's Carnival has been well known for intricately created masks and
masquerade balls. Throughout history, Venice's Carnival was banned numerous
times, but since 1979, the event has occurred annually. Many events occur in
the city's famous canals.
Additional Carnivals in
the US
Although New Orleans has
the most visited Mardi Gras in the United States, some smaller celebrations
include those in:
· Mobile, Alabama
· Biloxi, Mississippi
· Pensacola, Florida
· Galveston, Texas
· Baton Rouge, Lafayette,
and Shreveport, Louisiana
Additional Carnivals in
Latin America
Besides Rio de Janeiro
and Trinidad, many more cities in largely Catholic Latin America celebrate
Carnival. These include:
· Salvador, Recife, and
Olinda, Brazil
· Oruro, Bolivia
· Buenos Aires, Argentina
· Mazatlan, Mexico
· Some cities in Colombia,
Uruguay, Panama, and the Dominican Republic
Additional Carnivals in
Europe
Many more cities still
celebrate Carnival on the continent where it originated. These include:
· Torres Vedras, Portugal
· Viareggio, Italy
· Tenerife Island, part of
Spain's Canary Islands
· Cadiz, Spain
· Binche, Belgium
· Cologne, Germany
Carnival Entertainment
and Imagination
The activities of the
Carnival season, developed over centuries from religious and cultural rituals,
have become enormously popular in several cities around the world. Large crowds
congregate in the streets to enjoy the extravagant parades, rhythm of the
music, and colorful costumes. It's an exciting, creative spectacle that no
visitor will ever forget.
Carnival
Resources