The most famous carnivals in the world

The Carnival of Venice

Originally from the 12th century, reached its peak in the 17th century and was born from the hands of the people to satirize and mock the political class. When Napoleon's army occupies Venice, Carnival is banned for fear of conspiracies and it is not until 1979 that tradition is retaken. The icon of the Carnival of Venice are the masks, so artisans have achieved such a degree of perfectionism that they have achieved an impressive world prestige.

The Carnival of Venice is different from that of other carnival capitals such as Rio de Janeiro or Tenerife, here the colors and the dances are replaced by the exhibitionism of the participants, who invest real fortunes to disguise themselves and walk through the alleys of the city. Tourists do not usually participate in this party given the high cost, so many of them opt for a mask or rent a suit.

The Rio de Janeiro Carnival

Rio de Janeiro is considered to be the world's greatest exponent of Carnival, during these dates the luxury, the glamor and the exuberance share a street to give as a result the frantic exaltation of the senses. Although it seems somewhat banal, this festival plays an important role at a traditional level, as it keeps the customs and historical memory of Brazil alive.

The origins go back to the colonial era, when the western influences of the Roman carnival mixed, reason for the celebration of the arrival of spring, and the music and dance of the African slaves of Bahia.

The Rio de Janeiro Carnival takes place around the samba schools, which are true institutions. Throughout the year they prepare to win the champion title of the Association of Samba Schools. For this, they will parade throughout the week that this carnival lasts for the well-known "Marqués de Sapucaí Sambadrome", an installation with capacity for more than 72,000 spectators.

The Mardi Gras of New Orleans

Mardi Gras is the name given to the carnival in the cities of New Orleans, Mobile and Louisiana, in the state of Alabama. Traditionally means "Fat Tuesday" and represents the last day before Lent in which you could enjoy both culinary and carnal pleasures. That is why it is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday.

This carnival is considered one of the largest and most famous in the world because during two weeks you can see parades through the streets of the city, although the most elaborate and colorful are made during the last five days. In them are mixed floats, masked balls and the traditional king cake. This sweet combines the three traditional colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green and gold, which respectively represent the values ​​of justice, faith and power.

During the Mardi Gras parade, a curious tradition of the 19th century, collars and cheap toys are thrown from the floats to the assistants of the cavalcade. This custom has originated since the 60s a practice that many people consider indecent and that clashes with the moral principles rooted in the United States: many women, in their eagerness to collect the most colorful necklaces, uncover their breasts and exhibit them.

The Carnival in Notting Hill

This carnival is relatively recent. Known for the famous romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the London borough of Notting Hill gives rise to one of the biggest carnivals in Europe. The most peculiar thing is that it is celebrated in August, around the 25th or the 26th, date in which the streets are filled with rhythm and color to receive more than one million people.

It was created by Afro-Caribbean immigrants residing in London as a protest to the racist altercations that were constantly occurring, so it has a claiming character. This is something that does not surprise us given the tradition of alternative neighborhood that has Notting Hill: here lived famous people from the world of music as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton or Jimmy Hendrix, who also spent his last days.

This carnival is considered one of the largest Caribbean carnivals in the world, imbued with a culture far removed from the English. However, this does not prevent a large number of people, both locals and visitors, enjoying it with passion every year.

The Quebec Ice Carnival

In Quebec, Canada, a very peculiar version of the Carnival celebrations is celebrated. Between the last week of January and the second of February, the city puts on its mask and commemorates this traditional festival in which there is no shortage of colored lights, music, dancing and parades.

The Quebec Carnival has its origins in the 19th century, when an ice castle began to be built to house the king, a great snowman known as Bonhomme, since then, the tradition of building ice structures has intensified in such a way that the Sainte Thérèse street becomes an ice art museum in which local artists compete to exhibit these unique sculptures.

The official start consists of the election of the Carnival Queen and her seven duchesses who, together with King Bonhomme, will lead the many events of this peculiar carnival. Although it may seem otherwise, the cold and snow are not an impediment for fun to cover every corner of Quebec.

Proof of this are the snow baths that are given about a hundred people before the astonished look of the visitors, the dog sled races, the canoe race in the San Lorenzo River and the Regency Dance.

The Barranquilla Carnival

This Carnival, considered an Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, takes place during the four days prior to Ash Wednesday. Some dare to categorize this carnival as the most colorful in the world, and rightly so.

This Carnival is an example of cultural fusion for combining Catholic traditions with the aboriginal ceremonies of South America and the most awaited of the year in the Colombian city, not only for the locals, but also for the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy it and their typical dances like cumbia and garabato.

The most important and symbolic day of the Barranquilla Carnival is Saturday. On this day the well-known Battle of Flowers is celebrated: a parade of floats, comparsas and other dance groups in which the Queen, accompanied by other important Carnival characters such as "Rey Momo", "María Moñitos" and the "Cayman Man", dances and launches flowers to visitors.

On Carnival Sunday the parade of the Gran Parada takes place, in which, through popular dances, the three cultures merge. The cumbia, which symbolizes the courtship of the couple, the scribble, which marks the triumph of life over death, and the Torito dance, which represents the biggest symbol of Carnival.

The Carnival of Canary Islands

The capital, founded in 1478, soon stood out for its ability to unite cultures. Thus, already in the sixteenth century, different stories allude to the residence of Italians in the city, and their fondness for masked dances.

The first direct reference to Carnival is located in 1574, with the dance of masks and disguises held in the house of Canon Pedro León, on the occasion of the marriage of Matías Cairasco. Already in the twentieth century the emergence of institutions such as Nautic Club or Club Victoria expand the carnival map to the area of ​​the docks of the city and the bar of "La Isleta".

The modern Carnival gained its current dimension from 1976, then the party on the street was recovered. This island should be among the places with the best climate in the European space and the day someone had the idea of ​​joining Carnival and Beach, he probably thought of Canary Islands. This event is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Canary Islands, and without a doubt enjoying it with family or friends is a safe bet for fun.