Many years ago, I lived in New Orleans, where Mardi Gras is the biggest celebration of the year. Bigger than Christmas. Bigger than your 18th birthday. Maybe even bigger than your wedding day.

I loved Mardi Gras so much that I spent a sort of ‘gap year’ painting Mardi Gras parade floats. It was the most fun I ever had working. I would be willing to bet I can still walk with a 30-foot ladder balanced on one hip.

Now that I live in Europe, I was curious about what sort of fun they get up to in other countries during Carnival. Here are some basics for newbies, plus a short tour of how Carnival is celebrated in all of the countries Expatica serves.

Carnival: what is it?
Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent. Carnival typically involves public celebrations or parades and people often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

Carnival is a festival held in Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox societies. Traditionally, since the Lenten period is marked by 40 days of fasting and other pious practices, all rich food and drink has to be disposed of. The consumption of this, in a giant party that involves the whole community, is thought to be the origin of Carnival. Carnival ends on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

A sampler of Carnival around Europe

Spain: Andalusia
In Cádiz the costumes worn are often related to recent news, such as the bird flu epidemic in 2006, during which many people were disguised as chickens. The mood of this carnival is sharp criticism, fun play on words and imaginative costumes.

Spain: Catalonia
In Catalonia people dress up and organise parties. In spite of  winter weather, parties are open air. Rues of people dance along the streets. On Thursday Dijous Gras is celebrated, also called 'the omelette day' (el dia de la truita), coques (de llardons, butifarra d'ou, butifarra) and omelettes are eaten. Parties end by burning Mr. Carnestoltes and with enterrament de la sardina (sardine's funeral).

The carnival in Solsona, Lleida  is known for a legend that some people hung a donkey from the tower bell, because the animal wanted to eat some grass growing on the top of the tower. To commemorate this legend every year, the people in Solsona hang a donkey from the tower, while the animal pisses above the excited people.

Portugal
Carnival in Portugal is celebrated throughout the country. Carnivals in Podence and Lazarim incorporate pagan traditions such as the careto, while the Torres Vedras celebration is probably the most typical Portuguese carnival.

France
The two major carnivals of France are the Nice Carnival and the Paris Carnival. The Nice Carnival was held as far back as 1294, and is still held annually, attracting over a million visitors yearly during the two weeks preceding Lent. The Paris Carnival occurs after the Feast of Fools and dates back to the 16th century or earlier, although it was not held between 1952 and 1957.

Germany, Switzerland and Austria
German Carnival parades are held on the weekend before Lent, on Rose Monday and occasionally on Shrove Tuesday. The main festivities occur around Rosenmontag; this time is also called the "Fifth Season”.

In German-speaking countries, two distinct varieties of Carnivals are held. The Rhenish Carnival is held in the west of Germany. On Carnival Thursday (called "Old Women Day" or "The Women's Day"), in commemoration of an 1824 revolt by washer-women, women storm city halls, cut men's ties, and are allowed to kiss any man who passes their way.

The "Swabian-Alemannic" carnival, known as Fastnacht, takes place in Southwestern Germany, Switzerland, Alsace and Western Austria. It traditionally represents the time of year when the reign of the cold, grim winter spirits is over and these spirits are being hunted down and expelled.

Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, Carnival is actually called Fuesent and it is a great occasion for celebrating with costumes, balls, processions and parties. Most of the celebrations are in towns outside Luxembourg City itself.

In Remich, the end of Carnival season is marked by the burning of a straw doll – a Stréimännchen, a male doll, or a Stréifrächen, a female doll, which is burned in leap years. The doll is hung from the bridge in Remich connecting Luxembourg and Germany over the Moselle River and is lit on fire every year on Ash Wednesday as a symbol of chasing away the evil spirits of winter to welcome in the spring.

Belgium
Many parts of Belgium celebrate Carnival, typically with costume parades, partying and fireworks. The Carnival of Binche has a history dating back at least to the 16th century. The most important parade participants are the Gilles, who go out in traditional costumes on Shrove Tuesday and throw blood oranges to the crowd. In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was recognised as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Some Belgian cities hold carnivals later during Lent. One of the best-known is Stavelot, where the Carnaval de la Laetare takes place on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. The participants include the Blancs-Moussis, who dress in white with long red noses, and parade through town attacking bystanders with confetti and dried pig bladders.

Netherlands
Carnival in the Netherlands is also called "Vastenavond" or "Vastelaovend", and is celebrated in Catholic regions, mainly the southern provinces North Brabant and Limburg. Although traditions vary from town to town, some common characteristics of Dutch Carnival include a parade, a "prince" plus cortège ("Council of 11"), a farmer's wedding (boerenbruiloft), and eating herring (haring happen) on Ash Wednesday.

The oldest-known Dutch carnival festivities date from 1385 in 's-Hertogenbosch. They are depicted in several paintings of the 15th-century painter Jheronimus Bosch. For the three days of the carnival, 's-Hertogenbosch changes its name to "Oeteldonk," which means "Frog Hill." This name changing tradition is common in and around North Brabant.

England
In England, the season immediately before Lent was called Shrovetide. It was a time for confessing sins (shriving) with fewer festivities than the Continental Carnivals. Today, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as Pancake Day, but little else of the Lent-related Shrovetide survived the 16th-century English Reformation.

West Indian immigrants brought with them the traditions of Caribbean Carnival. However, the Carnivals now celebrated at Notting Hill, Leeds and Yorkshire have become purely secular events that take place in the summer months.

Russia
Maslenitsa (also called Pancake Week or "Cheese Week") is a Russian folk holiday that incorporates some traditions that date back to pagan times. The essential element of Maslenitsa celebration is bliny, Russian pancakes, popularly taken to symbolize the sun. Round and golden, they are made from the rich foods still allowed during that week by the Orthodox traditions: butter, eggs, and milk.

Maslenitsa also includes masquerades, snowball fights, sledding, swinging on swings and sleigh rides. The mascot of the celebration is usually a brightly dressed straw effigy of Lady Maslenitsa, formerly known as Kostroma. As the culmination of the celebration, on Sunday evening, Lady Maslenitsa is stripped of her finery, and put to the flames of a bonfire.


Lynelle Barrett is an editor for Expatica and one of the things on her ‘bucket list’ is to dance in the streets at Carnival in Trinidad.

Source: Wikipedia