The 7 Most Famous Carnivals In The World
The most famous carnivals in the world are those that have managed to maintain themselves over time, showing very genuine and representative aspects of each local culture. There are many places on the planet that have their own carnival, but only some of them have achieved world prestige.
Carnivals are celebrations that take place just before Christian Lent. Therefore, they always take place in February or March, depending on the Catholic calendar. They generally start the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and end the following Tuesday.
It is a period of certain lack of control in which the pagan and the religious intermingle. There is dancing, music, parades and everything fills with color. The most famous carnivals in the world have achieved prestige thanks to their picturesque details and, mainly, to the large crowd that they manage to bring together.
1. Rio de Janeiro
The Rio de Janeiro carnival is, without a doubt, the most famous in the world . It is not for less, if one takes into account that it has a monumental assembly. The Sambadrome is the epicenter of the celebration.
The troupes sometimes include more than 5000 participants. They parade in front of a crowd that comes from all over the world to the “wonderful city” and that sometimes exceeds a million people. Samba is the axis of this carnival, which in 2019 will take place between March 1 and 9.
2. Venice
One of the most famous carnivals in the world is that of Venice, which is a true tribute to tradition. It has been celebrated since the Middle Ages and every year it repeats the same ritual that made it world famous in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It is characterized by the costume parades in San Marcos Square, the boat processions through the main canals of the city and the public and private parties that take over the city for 10 days.
3. Oruro, one of the most famous carnivals in the world
Unesco consecrated the Oruro carnival as “oral and intangible heritage of humanity” in 2001. It is an impressive show in which Spanish and American traditions are mixed, in a display of color and folklore.
4. Barranquilla
Barranquilla’s carnival is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a compendium of dance, game and tradition. It is the second largest carnival in the world, after the one in Rio de Janeiro.
People in magical and surreal costumes come to this event. Traditional characters like “El garabato”, “Congo” and “Monocuco” are traditional characters. It includes the “Battle of the flowers”, the “guacherna” or night parade and other activities.
5. New Orleans
It is also known as “Mardi Gras” or Fat Tuesday. It is celebrated the day before Catholicism’s Ash Wednesday, but the festivities begin on January 6. Its origins date back to the 18th century and reflect the strong French influence in the state of Louisiana.
Throughout the entire carnival there are parades of floats, masked balls and parties everywhere. During the festivity there is a day in which necklaces are thrown to the assistants, made with round beads or with animal figures. It was first celebrated in 1699.
6. Nice
Held in the sophisticated capital of the French Riviera. It is an impressive show that lasts 15 days and adorns the Côte d’Azur. It was first celebrated in 1294, but then had periods of interruption.
Since the nineteenth century, it has been held every year and has become one of the most famous carnivals in the world for its lavishness and large attendance. It includes large parades of floats and a “flower battle”, in which buds are thrown at the spectators.
7. Tenerife
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is the second most important in the world, due to its international fame and recognition. Tenerife is considered the “carnival capital of the world”. In fact, the city holds a Guinness record for having gathered the largest number of people during an open-air concert.
The predominant note is the murgas, who perform sarcastic songs on current affairs. They also have comparsas and a gigantic parade called “Gran Coso Apotheosis”. And we must not forget the spectacularity of the dresses of the carnival queens
