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OVERVIEW OF CARNIVAL
The Carnival Season is a holiday period during the two weeks before the traditional Christian fast of Lent. The origin of the name "Carnival" is unclear as there are several theories. The most commonly known theory states that the name comes from the Italian carne- or carnovale, from Latin carnem (meat) + levare (lighten or raise), literally "to remove the meat" or "stop eating meat". It has also been claimed that it comes from the Latin words caro (meat) and vale (farewell), hence "Farewell to meat". Yet another theory states that it originates from the Latin carrus navalis, which was some kind of Greek cart carrying a statue of a god in a religious procession at the annual festivities in honour of the god Apollo. Most commonly the season began on Septuagesima, the third from the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday, but in some places it started as early as Twelfth Night, continuing until Lent. This period of celebration and partying had its origin in the need to use up all remaining meat and animal products such as eggs and butter before the fasting season. The celebration of Carnival ends on "Mardi Gras" (French for "Fat Tuesday", meaning Shrove Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday, when the rigours of Lent's 40 days of fasting and sacrifice begin. It sometimes lasts until Piñata Weekend, the first Saturday and Sunday of Lent.
Carnival is mostly a tradition of long-time Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Christian Orthodox areas of the world. Most Protestant and non-Christian areas do not celebrate it.
HISTORY OF CARNIVAL
Origins of the Carnival season
It is sometimes said that this festival came from Saturnalia, Saturn's festival, and Lupercalia. In the later Roman period, these festivals were characterized by wanton raillery and unbridled freedom, and were in a manner a temporary subversion of civil order. Historians think that this spirit was transmitted to the Carnival.
Another theory, esp. prominent in Switzerland probably predates Christianity. The festival was linked to the beginning of spring, and the idea behind Carnival was to scare evil spirits away. This is usually done with processions, where the participants wore horrible masks, and where everyone that could would make loud noises and music with whatever was available. Later on, the processions were devoted to Patron-saints, the two most prominent being the virgin Mary or the Saint the local church was christened to.
In ancient times, carnival was held to begin on 6th January and lasted until midnight of Shrove Tuesday. Some believe that this period of license represents the kind of compromise the church tended to make with pagan festivals and that carnival really represents the Roman Saturnalia. Rome has always been the headquarters of carnival, and though some popes, notably Clement 9 and 11 and Benedict 13, made efforts to stem the tide of Bacchanalian revelry, many of the popes were great patrons and promoters of carnival-keeping.
Special celebrations around the world
Places especially noted for elaborate Carnival celebrations include 's-Hertogenbosch and Maastricht in The Netherlands, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Mainz in Germany, Portugal, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife and Olinda in Brazil, Barranquilla and Pasto in Colombia, Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, Santiago in Cuba, Venice in Italy, Nice in France, New Orleans (See New Orleans Mardi Gras) and Mobile, Alabama in the USA, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Cádiz in Spain, Binche Eupen Hasselt and Malmédy in Belgium. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia, is a well-known pride parade. The Quebec City Winter Carnival is the biggest winter-themed carnival in the world. It depends a lot on good snowfalls and very cold weather, to keep snowy ski trails in good condition and the many ice sculptures intact. For this reason it does not observe the lunar based Easter celebration but is fixed instead to the last days of January and first days of February of the solar calendar.
Austria
In Austria, Carnival is called Fasching and is generally celebrated in several types of events.
First, there are parties called Faschingsfest or Gschnas, where people dress up in funny costumes, similar to what Americans do at Halloween. Such parties are often held in private homes. Children are often encouraged to come to school in their costume on the Faschingsdienstag (=Mardi Gras), and even some adults come to their workplace in a costume.
Second, January and February are the high season for ballroom dancing, with a large number of balls talking place especially in the Hofburg and other palaces in Vienna, including the famous Vienna Opera Ball.
Third, in many towns and villages the local Faschingsgilden (Carnival Guilds) meet and offer their comedy programs to the public. Other than in Germany, where similar events tend to be ritualistic and ceremonial (the German events, even though they were sometimes broadcoast on Austrian TV in the past, are increasingly considered boring by Austrians), the Austrian events focus on stand-up comedy and political satire. The most famous event is the Villacher Fasching in Villach, Carinthia, which draws a TV audience of about 25% of the Austrian population every year. Politicians often attend the event and are then shown on TV laughing when the joke is on them.
Bolivia
Oruro's Diablada is a popular back-packing destination. One of the most authentic carnivals in South America is La Diablada carnival, which takes place in the city of Oruro, in central Bolivia. The carnival is being celebrated in honor of the Saint patroness of the miners - Virgen de Socavon (the tunnel's virgin).
The carnival is celebrated in a parade of over 50 dance groups that dance, play and sing over a 5 km long course. The groups dress up as demons, Satans, Incas and Spanish conquerors. The parade is celebrated every day from morning until late night (18 hours a day).
It is often viewed as one of the world's last "authentic" cultural celebrations.
Brazil
main article: Brazilian Carnival.
The main festivity in Brazilian Carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro, with its samba schools, blocos and bandas which occupy entire neighbourhoods. In some cities of the Northeastern Region, there is another form of the Brazilian Carnival: the Trio Elétrico. A trio elétrico is an adapted truck, with giant speakers and a platform where musicians play songs of local genres such as Axé music and Maracatu.
England
In England Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as Pancake Day, but apart from the serving of pancakes and occasional pancake races and football matches (see Royal Shrovetide Football), little else of Carnival survived the Reformation. Caribbean influence has led to the establishment of several "West Indian" carnivals, but these are not held in Carnival season. The leading festivities are Notting Hill Carnival in August (reputedly the world's largest), and Bridgwater in November.
German-speaking countries
Germany, especially the western part (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) is famous for Karneval celebrations such as parades and costume balls. Whilst these events are widespread in all big and smaller places of that area, only Cologne, Düsseldorf, Aachen, Mainz, Bonn are supposed to be carnival "strongholds". In the South of Germany carnival is called Fasching and especially Munich developed a special kind of it.
German Carnival parades are held on the weekend before and especially on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), the day before Shrove Tuesday, but the carnival season, the so called "fifth season", officially begins on November 11th (11/11) at 11:11 a.m. and finishes on Ash Wednesday.
In the Rhineland as the most typical Carnival region, festivities developed especially strongly, since it was a way to express subversive anti-Prussian and anti-French thoughts in times of occupation, through parody and mockery. Modern carnival there began in 1823 with the founding of a Carnival Club in Cologne. Today all Carnival Clubs are assembled in the German Carnival Association.
The "Swabian-Alemannic" carnival only begins on January 6 (Epiphany/Three Kings Day). This celebration is known as Fastnacht (literally "Fasting Eve" as it originally only referred to the eve of the fasting season). Variants are Fasnet, Fasnacht or Fasent. Fastnacht is held in Baden-Württemberg, parts of Bavaria, and Alsace. Switzerland and Vorarlberg, in Austria, also hold this celebration. The festival starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, known in these regions as Schmutziger Donnerstag or Fettdonnerstag. In High German, schmutzig means "dirty", but actually the name is from the local dialect where schmutzig means "fat"; "Greasy Thursday". Elsewhere the day is called "Women's Carnival" (Weiberfastnacht), being the day when tradition says that women take control.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the last day of Carnival (carnaval) is held exactly 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter, making the days of celebration vary between 4 January and 28 February. Carnival in The Netherlands is the oldest in the west of the southern province Noord Brabant. Here carnival is known as Vastenavend (literally "Fasting evening"). Most popular and even renowned places where Vastenavend is held (although every city, town or village celebrates it) are 's-Hertogenbosch, Bergen op Zoom and Breda. Carnival here has been celebrated ever since the medieval times and was modernized after WW II, Bergen op Zoom even continued to celebrate it indoors. Although the west of Noord Brabant may have the oldest Carnival, it is the south of the most southern province of The Netherlands, Limburg, where many Dutch go to celebrate it. During Vasteloavend (Carnival in the local dialect), every town is one big party.
During Dutch Carnival, many traditions are kept alive, like the boerenbruiloft (farmer's wedding) and the haring happen (eating haring) at Ash Wednesday but the traditions vary from town to town. Overall there are three different types of Carnival celebrated in The Netherlands. The most well-known variant is known as the Rijnlandsche Carnival and it shares many folklore traditions with its German and Belgium counterparts. Maastricht is famous for its Carnival which mimics Italian, mostly Venician, traditions, culture and costumes. The third variant can be found in 's-Hertogenbosch, or Oeteldonk as they call it during the festivities. The Oeteldonksche Carnival shares very little traditions and folklore with the rest of the Netherlands and they have celebrated it in their specific way ever since in 1882 the first official Federation for Carnaval (De Oeteldonksche Club) was erected, long before the Carnival was modernised and adopted in the rest of The Netherlands.
Honduras
In La Ceiba in Honduras carnival is held on the third Saturday of every May to commemorate San Isidro, and is the largest in Central America.
Italy
The carnival in Venice was first recorded in 1268. The subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations and often banning the wearing of masks.
Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) at the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. As masks were also allowed during Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise. Maskmakers (mascareri) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild.
In 1797 Venice became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio. The Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 1798 and it fell into a decline which also effectively brought carnival celebrations to a halt for many years. It was not until a modern mask shop was founded in the 1970s that a revival of old traditions began.
Poland
In Poland the traditional way of celebrating the Carnival is kulig, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snow-covered countryside. The Polish Carnival Season includes Fat Thursday (Polish: Tlusty Czwartek) - a day for eating paczki - and Sledziówka (Shrove Tuesday), or Herring Day (herring is a traditional Polish appetizer for drinking vodka).
Spain
When Lent ends, the Saturday following Holy Week is celebrated in a festival in Murcia, Spain. Called the Sardine's Funeral Parade it marks the end of the period when it is mandatory to eat fish and vegetables only. Other places famous for their carnivals are Cádiz and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the most typical and famous parties of the city, and is not only well known in Spain, but also has a worldwide fame.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidadian Carnival takes place on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but the holiday is usually extended for the entire week. The actual carnival consists of two parts: Mas, which takes place during the day, and J'ouvert or 'Dirty Mas' that takes place at night. In Mas, participators buy a costume and the right to dance under a certain carnival band. Different bands dance through the streets of Port of Spain (the capital of Trinidad) until they come to the "Gran' Stan'" in the central park known as "The Savannah". Here, different bands cross the stage being marked by judges on costume design and vitality. In J'ouvert, the same principals apply, but the costumes are less extravagant, and participants usually end up covered in mud and paint. Throughout these 2 days of celebration, hundreds of "Rum Floats" parade with the bands to supply drinks to everyone. Competitions for best soca song and carnival kings and queens are also held
Trinidad Carnival
In Trinidad "Dimanche Gras" takes place on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday. Here the Calypso Monarch is chosen (after competition) and prize money and a vehicle bestowed. Also the King and Queen of the bands are crowned, where each band to parade costumes for the next two days submits a king and queen, from which an overall winner is chosen. These usually involve huge, complex, beautiful costumes.
J'ouvert takes place before dawn on the Monday (known as Carnival Monday) before Ash Wednesday. It means "goodbye to the flesh" or "welcome to daybreak" (depending on the interpretation). Here revellers dress in old clothes and cover themselves in mud, oil paint and body paint. A common character to be seen at this time are "Jab-jabs" (devils, either blue, black or red) complete with pitch fork, pointed horns and tails. Here also, a king and queen of the J'ouvert are chosen, based on their representation of current political/social events/issues.
Carnival Monday involves the parade of the mas bands, but on a casual or relaxed scale. Here revellers wear only parts of their costumes, and the purpose of the day is more one of fun than display or competition. Also on Carnival Monday, Monday Night Mas is popular in most towns and especially the capital, where smaller bands participate in competion.
Carnival Tuesday is when the main events of the carnival take place. On this day full costume is worn complete with make up and body paints/adornments. Each band has their costume presentation based on a particular theme, and contain various sections (some consisting of thousands of revellers) which reflect these themes. Here the street parade and eventual crowning of the best bands take place. After following a route where various judging points are located, the mas bands eventually converge on the Queen's Park Savannah to pass "on the stage" to be judged once and for all. Also taking place on this day is the crowning of the Road March king or queen, where the singer of the most played song over the two days of the carnival is crowned winner, complete with prize money and usually a vehicle.
This parading and revellery usually goes on into the night of the Tuesday. Ash Wednesday itself, whilst not an official holiday, is marked by most by visiting the various beaches that abound both Trinidad and Tobago. The most populated being Maracas beach and Manzanilla beach, where huge beach parties take place every Ash Wednesday. These provide a cool down from the previous five days of hectic partying, parades and competitions, and are usually attended by the whole family.
CARNIVAL TRIVIA
Many carnivals also have an associated funfair (or fun fair) with a number of amusement rides and sidestalls. In America a smaller or non-permanent funfair is called a carnival in contrast to the permanent amusement park.
Source: The English Wikipedia
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