What is the Carnival Festival? – Origin and History

Festivals around the world are huge and diverse. Carnival festival is one of them. What is the carnival festival? Take a few minutes to find out the key.

What is the carnival festival? It is merely the time to celebrate an event. It varies from country to country because each nation has a different story to remember and tell. Most of these traditional celebrations occur before the Christian observance of Lent (from February to March).

What is the Carnival festival?

Carnival festival is a festival of the Western Christians hosted before the Lent season. The main festival particularly comes between February and early March. Carnival (carne levare) means removing the meat in the dish.

During this time, locals call it “Shrovetide or Pre-Lent”. The festive season concludes with public celebrations, parades, a lot of street parties, circuses, and other entertainment games.

In the past, festivities occurred between Christmas and the first day of Lent. Some countries hosted the festivals only. Today, these traditions come to other countries around the world, increasing fun things in daily life.

Most places celebrating the Carnival

Carnival celebrations are a unique spectacle with several things to enjoy – from live music to cuisine and other entertainment activities. Colorful feathered headpieces and wooden shoes make these huge events perfect.

As a big festival around the globe, many people feel different emotions. Some people think that the festive season is totally fun to enjoy and while others consider it is the general debauchery. However, hosting a fun bash and attending a party is always a way to refresh something new on our mind and cut down stuff thinking.

Rio Carnival, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival (Rio Carnival) is the most famous festival in the world. This ebullient show starts in 40 days (before Easter). Millions of locals and travelers might experience this spectacle in different small programs – live music, samba-shaking dance, and colorful parades.

 

• Music and dances: music plays an important role in the Carnival. Dances do the parades and sound of the samba melody. Parade floats and eye-catching costumes are other wonderful elements and add to the Carnival.
• Street parties: all parties are free and people often find afloat without much hassle. Parts of music and dancing probably take place around the stadium, for instance. Another team could perform in the Cinelandia Square of Rio’s Centro. Talented people and a famous band of orchestras can play together with locals and visitors. Other streets also have popular bands and singers, especially samba music.

Carnival of Viareggio

The Carnival of Viareggio is the most prominent celebration in Tuscan city, Viareggio. Not only famous in Italy, but this carnival is also common in the whole of Europe. Occur once a year and it takes place a month (before Lent). There are millions of fascinated onlookers who join in and indulge in all floats and parades.

 

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Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

From a rebellion against slavery, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is a memorable event for history. These days, this is one of the largest street parties in the Caribbean region.
Steel bands, soca, limbo, and calypso are the main ingredients to create this show. The official beginning time is often 4 am. This is the time to remember how it was made in the past. Slaves have to come together and run without being noticed.

Salvador Carnival, Brazil

Besides Rio, Salvador Carnival is the second-largest one in Brazil. One different thing in this event is that it does not contain samba parades. It is simply a big party with music and other fun things to do in one week.

In addition to music and dance, you can try food and take part in martial arts. Other traditions of the Afro-Brazilian community are available in Salvador de Bahia.

Rijeka Carnival, Croatia

Rijeka Carnival is the biggest show in Croatia. The season happens in one month with plenty of parties, music concerts, and parades. The Grand Parade is the best lively procession taking place on Sunday (before Ash Wednesday).

For decades, Rijeka Carnival was the most popular celebration in Europe. Royal family and socialites (earls, aristocrats, and countesses) from around the globe attended.

Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is celebrated before the Lenten festival. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the Canary Islands in Spain. This is also a big carnival because it attracts millions of spectators. All street parties open within 24 hours in all of the streets and squares.

Fireworks, dances, concerts, and parades occur. Then, they randomly hit any street with colorful carnival costumes. You may feel different on the other side of the world. It is also a tremendous opportunity to relish traditional pieces of music.

Carnival of Ivrea, Italy

Carnival of Ivrea in Italy offers another amazing game. A few oranges could hit you on the street when rolling around. Furthermore, there is no shortage of local parades to participate in. The General, the Napoleonic Staff, and the Molinera are the best ones. In a nutshell, this carnival displays the local history in Ivrea.

 

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Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival is one of the greatest ones in the world. The Queen and Drag Queen are two common activities in this show. What could people do during that time? They go around the streets and have fun in the sun at parties. All of the murgas and comparasas overrun the atmosphere of the city.

Carnivals improve local communities

The carnival is not music and entertainment only. It is a type of tool for enhancing social impact and cultural promotions. Generally, inclusiveness and diversity are the main points of a carnival. It is also a way of expressing the national culture.

As times go, we should keep the carnivals up the pace. Not only to overrun the traditions but also to realize and develop the communities in a smart way. In other words, understand all of the benefits of a carnival to engage attendees better. Then, the event will be perfect.

Final Words

Carnivals provide local converting and diverse practices such as costumes, equipment for celebrating parades, music in the street parties. Carnival always needs to follow ordinary rules and features. In other words, it includes numerous components of ancient celebrations. These are everything to take an in-depth knowledge of what is the Carnival festival. So now, it is carnival time!