In olden times, people in Europe thought that evil causes were responsible for the severely cold winters .With the advent of spring, they would celebrate to drive banish the winter evils. Easter is celebrated in March or April. With Sundays not being included, 40 days before Easter, falls Fat Tuesday, the last day of the carnivals. Over time, there carnivals came to be held for spring celebrations. Today carnivals of the world are one of the biggest happening event. The dates of the forthcoming Europe carnivals are February 3, 4, 5 in 2008 and Feb 22, 23, 24 in 2009.
Carnivals of the World : In sunny Nice in south France, the Mardigras groups parade through the main street lead by noble ladies holding yellow mimosa flowers. Then there musical bands wearing oversized masks following which there is a big float on which the huge winter king wearing a gold crown, is put up. Spectators line the balconies and the streets and at night, the winter king is burned at the beach, followed by spring celebrations.
Huge crowds throng the Piazza San Marco and everyone is in disguise. There are shops selling souvenir masks. This festival carnival does not have any parade buy only a spontaneous celebration of people's joy.
World Carnivals : In Germany, carnivals are Fastnacht. The second day is Rose Monday with a big parade. On this day, women paint their lips to tease the men in the parade. It is an occasion for joy and merriment.
Basel in Switzerland is a tourist's delight with folks in disguise coming in large numbers from Switzerland, German and Austria. On this day, people wear maks and flute playing is a lovely activity.
Best Carnivals : New Orleans prospered from cotton and sugarcane fileds in the early nineteenth century. At carnival time, the rich would throw money and jewels to the town's poor people. Today the practice is repeated with King and Queen with a crew of 50 on each float boat and toy jewels are thrown.
Other famous carnivals of the world are held in Quebec, Canada (the coldest carnival)and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (with music and rum). No carnival discussion is complete without the famed Latin American carnivals.
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Come to Brazil and in the mid summer season, it is Samba time at the carnival for which people have saving the year round and also learning Samba in dance schools. There are some 5000 dancers in each school and every night, there are a dozen schools in attendance with parades finishing at dawn. Oh,Brazil!
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