Carnival is said to be the oldest festival in the world

Some even said that it started 10 000 years before Christ!!!

When people used to live in cave and hunt mammoths...

Carnival was not a religious feast, it was a pagan feast to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

In fact it may have started as soon as men started to recognize the annual cycle of the seasons

The word ‘Carnival’ comes from the latin ‘carne vale’ which means ‘The meat is allowed’...why?

Because it happens right before the lent.

During the 40 days of the lent which ends in Easter we were not allowed to eat meat.

In fact it ends on Mardi Gras which literally means Fat Tuesday and is also called Shrove Tuesday or pancake day

WHY??

Because people wanted to use up their fat, eggs and dairy before the fasting* of Lent begins

*Fasting is when you have only little food.

The origins of Maltese Carnival

Once upon a time in a little village called Birgu a couple of friends who also happened to be knights used to celebrate a sort of carnival, nothing much really...just a couple of historical shows (also called pageants) and a couple of tournaments...but

Grand Master Del Ponte who would now be

about 500 years old thought that as years

were passing the knights were

exagerating a bit with their ‘carnival’ and

decided that he should give permission to it.

Grand Master De La Valette agreed with

him.

They are going a bit too far these

knights from Birgu!! What do you think Jean?

You are right

Pietrino!!

Jean De La Valette got even angrier when he came to know that knights and people were wearing masks on board of vessels (= boats) anchored at the Grand Harbour...That was in 1560.

GRRRRR!!! All they think of is having

fun!

• Even worse...Grand Master Juan de Lascaris-Castellar decided that women will no longer have permission to wear masks and participate in the knights banquets...imagine their reaction!!

Lascaris you’re a sad grumpy

old man!!

You don’t want people to have

fun!! Booo

Since then every time people see someone with a face like this

They say: ‘Qisek wicc Laskri’!!

Anyway the Carnival made its way till today and let’s see what happens during those 5 days!!

Carnival opens with the ‘parata’. This is a dance which represents the victory of Malta over the Turks in 1565. It also include a traditional dance: Il-Maltija.

Grand master Marc’ Antonio Zondadari introduced the game called ‘Kukkanja’ in 1721.

What is it??

People trying to collect as many presents as they can climbing up a greased pole...

Mmmmmmm!!

For carnival you can enjoy a cake called ‘Prinjolata’ and some sweets called ‘perlini’

Ps: Don’t forget to brush your teeth!!

Carnival floats

Floats are led by the king of Carnival

It really takes a lot of work to make these beautiful, colourful floats also called ‘Karrijiet’.

Any other reasons why carnival still exist and people love it so much??

• To enjoy and forget about your worries

• An opportunity to forget about rules

• A chance to be someone else behind your mask

Carnival of Rio Once upon a time in a far

away country called Brazil people used to celebrate ‘entudo’ by throwing each other water or flour. But one day a beautiful Italian lady married to a very rich man decided to hire musicians, to have confetti and streamer at a party where people would have to attend all dressed up...guess what? She invented the so-called dress-up bal which became the only way of celebrating carnival for so many years!!

Carnival of Venice

Once upon a time in a not so far away land...Venice, the Pope gave permission for Carnival. That was about 600 years ago!! The celebration went on and on and on and on for 10 full days.

10 full days of games, masquerades, spectacles and races. People were beautifully dressed-up with very big bird masks called ’bauta’

The city seemed enchanted until the very big dressed-up bal which took place Piazza San Marco on Fat Tuesday evening.

And so it kept on every year till today...

Carnival of Binche, Belgium

What a strange person!! It ‘s a ‘Gilles’. Gilles only come out on Fat Tuesday in Binche, they go round the town following the rhythm of the drums and throwing oranges at............children!!!

Beware!!

Happy Carnival!!