Carnivals and ParadesThe concept of Carnival originated long before Christian times, with the celebration of Bacchanal and ancient Mesopotamian cultural festivals. After the advent of Christianity, Carnival became associated with the wild days leading up to Lent. Knowing that Ash Wednesday marked 40 days of being on one's best behavior, the three days before Ash Wednesday were when people lived out their sinful impulses. According to some historians, Carnival traditions, such as dressing in disguises and wearing masks, were carried over from pagan times.
Today, although Carnivals around the world vary in length, look and types of celebration, a commonality of traditions and symbols tie them together. In rural New Orleans, each small town in a parish will celebrate on a different weekend day, so that townspeople can go from one party to the next. Some Caribbean nations celebrate it for months. But the festival usually builds up to its peak on Fat Tuesday, the last day of debauchery.
By Lena Katz
New Orleans, LouisianaSince it happens closest to home, New Orleans' Mardi Gras is the Carnival celebration which most Americans are familiar with-and what a party it is. The boisterous fun-loving Cajun spirit reaches its peak during this time, spurred on by thousands of visitors who come to join the fun. Everyone finds their own way to go over-the-top during this time...although the old New Orleans families who appear in the lavish parade floats don't really mingle with the drunken revelers jostling for beads on the streets.
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilRio de Janeiro dominates the world stage when it comes to annual Carnival celebrations. This is the biggest holiday when it comes to attracting visitors to Brazil. Millions of people come to celebrate in the city-though only a relatively small percentage of many tens of thousands get into the official Carnaval Parade. This is not just an event, but a competition between different samba schools which represent different neighborhoods in Rio.
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilThe dancers, hundreds strong, went their way down one main avenue, where schools are graded based on performance, costume and music. Enormous floats, celebrity performers, and gorgeous bodies in tiny, tiny costumes and bodypaint round out the spectacle. The Carnaval Parade is a ticketed event, and tickets are so hard to come by that sometimes even tour providers can't get enough.
Venice, ItalyOlder than Rio's Carnaval and nearly as famous, the Carnevale of Venice is a stately and occasionally eerie festival that emphasizes elaborate traditional costumes, pageantry, and the iconic Venetian masks.
Venice, ItalyApproximately 30,000 people participate each day in the festivities, which include parades, a walking theater show, costume balls and many smaller events. The 2011 Carnevale runs from February 29 through March 8.
Dusseldorf, GermanyNever count out Germany when it comes to a celebration. Germans always like to throw a good party, and Carnival season is no exception. The Rhine region is the hub of German carnival festivities, and Dusseldorf's annual pre-Lenten Carnival celebration draws one million people. More than 300 Carnival events culminating on the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday, with the Rose Monday parade, which stretches for miles and features 5,500 performers.
Curacao Island, CaribbeanThere are Carnival celebrations all over the Caribbean, and each one is slightly different. However, they all feature marching dancers and troupes in eye-catching costumes, representing different community organizations, neighborhoods and other affiliations.
Curacao Island, CaribbeanThe former Dutch principality of Curacao has always boasted a fun carnival-not so big that you feel sidelined, but big enough that it draws everyone on the island; including families and groups of friends, older and younger people, wealthy part-time residents and average workers. The main event of Curacao Carnival is the parade, for which hundreds of participants dress up in amazing feather and bead-trimmed outfits and sky-high heels and march dancing down the street for many miles, smiling (and often, drinking rum) all the way.
