by Jess Lander

 

People pack the streets adorned with feathers, crazy hats, face paint, and masks. Surrounding you, are cows, chickens, tigers, bears, and frogs, cowboys and Indians, princesses and princes, ninjas, and pirates, and clowns. There are men dressed like women, and women dressed like men. No, this isn’t Halloween.

Add in singing and dancing, marching bands, parades and, of course, lots and lots of beer.  This is Carnivale.

When you’re studying abroad, you aren’t just there to study. Part of your experience is about learning and engaging in true foreign culture, and for a real taste of that, you should experience Carnivale.

Carnivale is a big European costume festival that occurs anywhere from a few weeks to days before Lent, ending on Ash Wednesday, the kick-off day of Lent. Lent is the period of time before Easter, which is used for prayer, abstinence, and atonement.  Originated in Italy by the Catholics, this pre-Lent celebration was named Carnivale, meaning “farewell to meat” since Catholics are required to abstain from meat, among other sacrifices, during the forty days of Lent.

The festivities serve as one last hurrah before Lent begins and any sort of partying is forbidden. Participants let loose all morals and indulge themselves in sinful activities without worrying about the possible consequences. The idea of wearing masks and costumes is to remain incognito, so that people can’t be held responsible for any heavy partying they partake in.

Over time, the tradition of Carnivale has spread all over the world. In addition to many European countries, Brazil has one of the best-known celebrations, and in America, we call it Mardi Gras, most known for its green, gold and purple bead invasion in New Orleans. However, I doubt many Americans understand the religious and cultural significance behind the binge drinking and flashing of breasts that they can witness on Bourbon Street. Moreover, Mardi Gras isn’t even close to being on the same level of insanity as Carnivale. From my own personal experience, there is nothing else like it.

If you happen to be going abroad in the spring, definitely pick a place to Carnivale either where you are studying or in a city nearby. You can even fit in some sightseeing while you’re at it! You can find Carnivale celebrations virtually all over the world; however, some places definitely go much more over the top. Research where you want to go beforehand; just to make sure they celebrate it. For example you would have difficulty finding Carnivale life in Great Britain. Here are some key places to Carnivale and don’t forget to grab a mask or make your own costume to really get into the spirit!

Venice: If you want to go back to Carnivale’s roots, Venice is where you should do it. Here you will be able to stand where the history of this festival was created and also see what it has become in modern days. Venice is best known for the beautiful masks people create. However, friends of mine traveled there this past Carnivale and mentioned that it was not nearly as crazy party-wise as they had heard or expected. “People were looking at us weird because we were wearing our masks,” said Allison Peluso, an Emerson College student studying in the Netherlands. Locals told them that the city was trying to tone down their celebration in order to minimize the presence of tourists, so if you’re looking for more of the party aspect, you might want to consider going somewhere else.

Netherlands: My own Carnivale experience took place in the Netherlands. In the southern province of Limburg, Carnivale is a very big deal. Parades are very popular and feature elaborate floats that the Dutch spend all year working on. In my opinion, they put the giant Snoopys and Barneys of the Macy’s Day Parade to shame. The costumes are even more intriguing, and often follow a certain theme or convey a funny or political message. It is also a tradition to name a King and Queen of the parade each year. Two of the best cities for Carnivale in the Netherlands are Maastricht and Venlo, both of which I celebrated in. However, even the small towns, like Well where I live, go all out. Aside from the traditional parade, I experienced a light parade, and then the atmosphere at the local bar turned into a huge party where the entire community joined together to dance, sing, and drink. By the end of the week when Ash Wednesday finally arrived, the whole town was utterly exhausted from the constant flow of partying.

Germany: Several cities in the western part of Germany celebrate Carnivale. However, the two German cities that most are notorious for their Carnivale celebrations are Cologne and Dusseldorf, which are located very close to the Netherlands border. I had the privilege of witnessing the costumes in Cologne and they were by far the most outrageous and creative of all the cities I traveled to during Carnivale weekend. 

Brazil: Many sources claim that Brazil is the number one Carnivale destination, so if you happen to be studying in South America, it’s something you won’t want to miss. Brazil is especially known for having major themes for the parades that thousands of people in samba schools spend all year planning. The partying is also carried out on Brazil’s gorgeous beaches, and is probably your best bet at staying warm, for Carnivale takes place in January/February.