The most curious, extraordinary and extravagant carnivals on the planet

FMHOY - Fuerteventura

Carnivals are one of the most ancient celebrations that take place year after year all over the world. Their origin is not recent, on the contrary, it is believed that 5.000 years ago, the Sumerians, considered the first civilisation of the world, already enjoyed this type of celebration. Carnivals are also associated with the Roman Empire, with their Saturnalia celebrations, in honour of their Saturn God, which included gifts, sacrifices, orgies, and, obviously, carnivals. In Ancient Greece, they celebrated the Dionysia festival, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Christianity that the word carnival appeared: carnival, from the Latin, carnem levare, meaning to “remove the meat” because of Lent. Therefore, the carnival was a celebration before the rite when the population would eat, dance and drink, before starting the 40 days of purification. This celebration is still alive nowadays in almost every part of the planet, although it has its peculiarities depending on the area.

There is nothing written regarding how carnivals should take place. There is no patron saint and their duration isn’t stipulated. Some are more traditional, with music, dances and clothes being the main element of the celebration, and others are curious and remarkable.

A variety of carnivals

Battaglia delle Arance

In Ivrea, Italy, there is a carnival where oranges are the main protagonists, not as an ingredient but as a weapon. During the Battaglia delle Arance (The Orange Battle), oranges are thrown at the participants of this peculiar carnival, whose origins date back to medieval times; It is said that it represents an old popular revolution again the French. This peculiar carnival, where clothes don’t matter, but the kilos of oranges you can carry, do, has been celebrated since the year 1808.

Bloco de Lama

When talking about Brazil, we think of the Sambadromes, music, colours, attractive attires, glitter, coloured feathers... But not all Brazilian carnivals meet those characteristics. Some of them, such as the carnival of the town of Paraty, are the opposite. Indeed, mud is the protagonist, as this carnival, of modest origins, gets its origins from a tropical storm,which took place in 1986. On that day, people covered themselves with mud and started parading, wearing mud as camouflage. This is how Bloco de Lama was born, the dirtiest carnival in Brazil! However, the samba is still very present, as well as their wish to have a great time.

Carnival of Tenosique

We go from mud to flour. The carnival of Tenosique, in Tabasco, is based on that ingredient that participants cover themselves with before starting the dance of the gods of death, including flowers and wooden masks representing good and evil. This mysterious pre-Columbian dance is known as the dance of the Pochó, which include the participation of the “cojóes”, the soul of the party, the “pochoveras”, flower maidens and the priestesses of the Pochó god and jaguars.

Carnival

of Valle Bielsa

In Spain, there are also peculiar carnivals, such as the carnival of Bielsa. Single men get dressed up as billy-goats, wearing horns, sheepskin and bells; they cover their faces with soot and wear a skirt, a check shirt, woolly socks and sandals. Dressed this way, they run outside like animals, searching for young single people, or “Madams”, while hitting the floor with a stick. Other participants intervene in this carnival, whose aspect is no less grotesque. It has been celebrated for as long as people can remember and represents the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

Carnivals have been present in our traditions for a very long time, whichever the culture, race or religion. This celebration varies depending on where it takes place, but people are the common denominator that maintains this thousand-year-old tradition alive.

CARNAVALS!!!

La musique, le folklore, les rites ancestraux, les représentations historiques... L’être humain est traditionnel par nature. Année après année, des manifestations culturelles, parfois millénaires, se répètent dans le monde entier ; elles font partie de notre histoire, de nos origines, de nos rites et coutumes ludiques et festives. Les carnavals nous accompagnent depuis des milliers d’années, cependant, ils gardent leurs particularités dans chaque territoire, ce qui leur donne un caractère unique et authentique qui nous attire tellement