Carnival
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Carnival is originally a Catholic festival for Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent. In traditionally Catholic communities, it is usually celebrated with parades, street parties and live performances. The period is known as carnevale in Italian, carnaval in Portuguese and Mardi gras (fat Tuesday) in French.
UnderstandCarnival has roots in Christianity, as a feast before the austerity of Lent (which usually forbids meat, alcohol and other excesses).
TalkWhile Carnivals can be enormous events, many of them are made for a domestic audience rather than foreign visitors. Outside English-speaking countries, information in English can be difficult to find.
Stay safeCarnivals can draw enormous crowds, with crimes of opportunity such as pickpocketing. They have been infamous for stampedes and other incidents. Use the normal precautions in crowds.
Stay healthyInfectious diseases spread easily in crowds, especially when people are coming from many places where different diseases are endemic.
DestinationsAlmost any region with a large Roman Catholic population – parts of Europe, all of Latin America, much of the Caribbean, Quebec, the Philippines and a few others – will have some sort of carnival celebration.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Carnival" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons