6 key images to understand the carnival in the world

The Carnival is one of the most important holidays, cheerful and colorful given throughout the year. Its origin is not entirely clear, however it is related to the arrival of Lent and the time of abstinence that Christians keep.

Carnival is a celebration that takes place in many countries and cities in which people strive to wear striking costumes and masks, so much so that there are those who work for a whole year developing a project related to caravans or parades.

This tradition has been modified over the years, has adapted to other cultures and is currently a more permissive holiday than in the beginning. Below is the Carnival in different parts of the world.

Venetian masks

The Venice Carnival is one of the most famous, especially for the creation and use of masks and masks. This tradition derives from the Romans and its greatest splendor was during the 18th century.

The masks were used on various occasions, both in carnivals and to attend plays, love affairs or to carry out conspiracies, since the masks allow anonymity.

Currently, the Venice Carnival is celebrated for ten days in which costumes and masks are displayed and displayed in great detail that fascinate the viewer.

Sambadrome

The Sambadrome is a stadium designed to carry out the Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro, which has a capacity to receive approximately 70,000 people annually.

In Brazil the celebration of Carnival came with the conquest in America by the Spanish and the Portuguese. However, the Brazilian Carnival has variations in relation to how it is celebrated in Europe thanks to the mix of European, Brazilian and African culture.

From this mix comes the tradition of throwing water, parades with floats, popular dances and costumes with lots of color and detail.

In Brazil, various samba schools have been created, especially to prepare the theme, design and preparation of the floats, costumes and dances to be exhibited at the Sambadrome over a year.

Carnival in winter

The Nice Carnival is the most important in France and takes place over two weeks during which they receive thousands of tourists each year and is characterized by allegorical floats. This tradition derives from the Christian tradition, in which Lent begins after Carnival.

The Nice Carnival has two float shows that reflect part of its history and are very popular, called the “Corso” and “Batalla de las flores”.

Barranquilla Carnival Queen

The Barranquilla Carnival has been part of the history of Colombia since the 19th century after the arrival of the colonizers. It is celebrated from Saturday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

It is one of the most visited festivities in Colombia and is an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco.

In 1918 the first Queen of the Barranquilla Carnival was chosen, a tradition that still continues. The Queen is a figure that is designated annually to preside over the Carnival and is the spokesperson for the activities that will be carried out during those three days, after the enactment of the law of entertainment and enjoyment of the Carnival.

Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the most important Carnival festivals in Spain, followed by the Carnival of Cádiz and the Carnival of Águilas. The first references to this celebration date back to the 18th century.

This Carnival is celebrated in two different ways. One of them is on the streets with the participation of all citizens. The other, and more acclaimed, is the one carried out with a large number of troupes, parades, costumes, and musical groups, in which a Carnival Queen is also chosen.

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival is considered the second best known and most popular after the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

Carnival in Mexico

In Mexico, as in other countries, Carnival is celebrated in a large number of cities and towns with a particular meaning. For this reason, mention is made of several of the Carnival festivities that take place in this country.

Among the most important and oldest is the Mazatlán Carnival, in which the King of Joy and the Queen of Carnival are crowned. The Veracruz Carnival derives from the cultural mix that took place during the colony and is considered one of the most joyous carnivals in the world.

For its part, the Carnival of Campeche is characterized by the burning of a doll that represents bad humor and the unwanted. You can also mention the Tlaxcala Carnival, of Nahua origin, which stands out for the colors of the costumes, the allegorical floats and the burning of a doll that represents the lack of humor.