IT´S CARNIVAL ALL OVER THEWORLD!

Carnivals

Carnival is a festive season that happensimmediately before the Christian season ofLent. The events occur all over the world in February.

It involves a public celebration like a parade in which people wear masks and costumes, and they have a street party.

Religious beginnings…

Carnival is traditionally celebrated in countries with a large Catholic tradition.

During Lent (the six weeks before Easter), no parties or celebrations were permitted. People couldn´t eat meat, dairy, fats and sugars.

All of this food has to be thrown out. That is why carnival is a big party where everyone is allowed to indulge.

That is why in Louisiana in the United States, the Tuesday before Mardi Gras is called FatTuesday.

Carnival of Venice

Some of the best known traditions includingthe masquerade ball were first recorded in medieval Italy.

In 1797, Napoleon abolishes the Carnival ofVenice. But, in 1959, the tradition is revived.

Carnival traditions spread from Italy to otherEuropean Catholic nations like Spain, Portugal, and France.

Carnivals in Spain

In Andalusia, during the Carnival of Cádiz, people wear costumes related to recentnews. This is called satire.

The chirigotas sing about politics and satire.

The Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is oneof the most famous carnivals in Spain. Itattracts about one million people every year.

In Catalonia, people dress in masks and group costumes, and organize a weeklongseries of parties, pranks, and processions to welcome Sa Majestat el Rei Carnestoltes(King of the Carnival).

Carnival in the Caribbean

The most famous carnival is celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago.

It is an important tradition in the DutchAntilles: Aruba, Curaçao, St.Maarten, Saba, Saint Eustatius, and Bonaire. But it is celebrated in EVERY Caribbean country.

It had been celebrated in Cuba since the 18th century, but after the Cuban Revolution, celebrations stopped.

Festivities include ¨jump up parades¨, floats, colourfulcostumes, beauty contests and competitions. All of them happen from midnight to sunrise, with theconclusion being the burning of a straw man called KingMomo. It is supposed to rid the island of bad luck.

Puerto Rico: The PonceCarnival The Ponce Carnival is a one-week long

celebration that ends before Ash Wednesday.

It is one of the oldest carnivals in the WesternHemisphere. It dates back to 1858. Some people trace it even farther back to 250 years.

It´s simultaneous with the carnivals in Rio de Janeiro, Venice, and Mardi Gras.

The celebration begins in 1858 with a maskdance made by a Spaniard named José de la Guardia.

During carnival, the vejigantes appear. Theyare colourful costumes and masks with hornsthat represent evil.

The vejigantes carry blown cow bladders withwhich they make sounds and hit peopleduring the procession.

King Momo also makes an appearance. The carnival ends with the “Entierro de las Sardinas” or Funeral of the Sardines.

And then we sing…

The Carnival is dead now

They are burying him

Throw just a little dirt in

So he can rise again.

Let´s talk!

Which carnival is most interesting to you?

What kind of costumes do you see in a Galician carnival?

What differences can you find between thecarnivals in the Caribbean and in Spain? Are there similarities?