Brazil
The Brazilian Carnival is known as the biggest carnival in the world. In Brazilian Carnival, everyone does not want to express themselves, but wants to fulfill others. There are men who want to be feminine, and normally introverted women who dance wildly, imitating the agility and power of others as best they can. Carnival is often characterized by "transvestism", which is a product of history. The Brazilian carnival's fervor for femininity is arguably unique in the world. Among Brazilian carnivals, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival is the world's most famous and mesmerizing sex party.
Rio de Janeiro Carnival
Carnival is Brazil's biggest festival, but the most prestigious is that of Rio de Janeiro. The city's Carnival is one of the world's largest with the number of performers in the samba competition, the splendor of the costumes, the duration of the longest time, and the grandeur of the spectacle.
Rio de Janeiro Carnival is said to have begun in the mid-19th century. Initially, the scale of the carnival was small, limited to some indoor masquerade held by the aristocracy, people wearing masks purchased from Paris, and enjoy the fun. 1852, the Portuguese Azevedo conductor of the band took to the streets. With the fast-paced music, both black and white, poor and rich, men and women danced, and the whole city rejoiced. Azevedo's move was a huge success and a milestone in the history of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, marking it as a festival for the masses.
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival did not have a fixed venue in the earliest days, but the main streets of the city were the stage for samba performances. Because of the summer heat, the parades took place at night. From the 1970s, samba schools suggested building a samba arena in the city for Carnival activities, and in 1983, Oscar Niemeyer, a famous engineer who had designed the new capital of Brazil, Brasilia, and other projects, designed the arena himself, and 60,000 builders worked together, and in just 117 days, a samba arena that could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators was built. Since then, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival has had a fixed venue. On the opening day of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro handed over the golden key of the city gates to the Carnival King, known as King Momo, at the Mayor's Residence, symbolizing the official start of the annual Carnival. From now on, during the week-long Carnival, the entire city of Rio de Janeiro will be "ruled" by the "Carnival King", and all the citizens will revel in the carnival in their own way.
The "King of Momo" won't actually be sitting in the mayor's office giving orders. Instead, during the city's wildest festivities, King Momo will just have to do his job by leading the crowd in a good old-fashioned dance and fun.
The "King Momo" is usually chosen by the public two months before Carnival, along with a "Carnival Queen" and two "Carnival Princesses. They are the leaders of Rio de Janeiro's samba teams, who take part in Carnival rehearsals and performances, which is a tough job, but one that carries with it a great deal of honor.
Before the key handover ceremony, "King Momo" was paraded through the streets in a horse-drawn carriage with actors disguised as Brazilian royalty. This unique ceremony was held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Pedro I, Brazil's first monarch, and to add to the festive atmosphere of Carnival. At the same time, in order to allow more citizens and tourists to share the joy of the opening of Carnival.
The samba competition is a major event of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. The arena covers an area of 85,000 square meters, both sides of the grandstand, the middle is the samba team marching channel. Every year during the Carnival, to be held in this arena 5 samba activities, including the third and fourth day of the most exciting activities. On these two days, the city's top 14 samba schools compete to determine the year's ranking, with the top five having to perform another show.
Each samba school has between 3,800 and 4,000 people competing on the field, divided into 32 squads with eight colorful cars between them. The entries and accompanying songs have to have a storyline, and the entire team's costumes are designed to fit the show's plot. Each year, the schools come up with a variety of storylines, ranging from Indian history to Brazilian soccer to the realities of people's lives.
The prestigious Rio de Janeiro Carnival attracts a large number of foreign visitors, with about 400,000 tourists choosing this season to visit the beautiful city every year.
Carnival not only brings joy to Brazilians, and attracts many tourists, promoting tourism, stimulating the economy, has become an important and indispensable part of Brazilian life, more and more lively every year. Samba and Carnival, like soccer, have become symbols of Brazil.
Salvador Carnival
In Brazil's Carnival, the city of Salvador, capital of Bahia, is unique. Because the Bahian people do not want to market Carnival, it has been able to maintain its original flavor. In addition, Bahia is the most developed and important region in the country when it comes to music, and it is full of music and dance, which is the truest expression of Brazilian tradition and the spirit of Carnival. Salvador's Carnival "king" was deposed because of his thinness.
Carnival in the Amazon jungle
Palintins, a small Brazilian city of 90,000 people on the banks of the Amazon River, has a few days each year when tourists from all over the world, equal to the number of people in the region, are attracted to it, even booking hotels up to a year in advance because of the strong Amazonian flavor of Carnival - Boipúba.
Spain
Spain
Spanish Carnival, originated in 1492. In the 9th century BC, the Celts invaded Spain, the 8th century BC, the Romans, Visigoths, Moors invaded Spain one after another, the invaders have long oppressed and ruled the people of Spain, the people of Spain have long suffered, Spain is a resilient people, the people of Spain against foreign invaders of the oppression of the race, in 1492 launched a recovery movement, won the victory, the people of Spain was liberated, the people of Spain in honor of the victory of the recovery movement every year. To commemorate the victory of the Restoration Movement, every year people will hold a variety of large-scale singing and dancing events, large parades, the people enjoy the carnival, to celebrate the important holiday to commemorate the Spanish people to get the light. Passionate and frenzied crowd, exotic and gorgeous costumes, joyful and colorful colorful cars, psychedelic dazzling fireworks, all of which all express the Spanish people's love of life, to happiness, peace and freedom love.
Grand Canary Island Carnival
The participation of the masses and the selection of the "Queen" are two major features of the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. People work feverishly months in advance to select the ideal "queen", and in February, when the carnival officially begins, all the people join in the sea of joy and dance the salsa and merengue to the accompaniment of national and international bands.
Cuba
Carnival in Santiago de Cuba
Every year, from July to August, grand Carnival events are held throughout Cuba. Locals say the festival is linked to a piece of history: in 1953, Castro took advantage of the laxity of enemy guards at Carnival to lead more than 100 youths in an attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago. From there, the spark of the Cuban Revolution was ignited.
During this period, one of the main streets in the city was completely transformed into a carnival venue. The street is lined with stalls, most of which are beer stalls, followed by food stalls. Drinking beer is a "must" for people attending the carnival. The "whole roasted pig" is one of the unique sights of Carnival. Carnival government holiday five days, carnival in addition to "eat" and "play" part of the carnival, frenzied dance and music every night after 9:00 p.m. before the start, the most lively is the last few days held in the parade, including colorful cars, all-night party and other activities.
Havana Carnival
The parade of floats kicks off Havana Carnival, with black Cuban dancers dancing to rhythmic music. After the parade, the real festivities begin with street dancing, where everyone is the main character and the revelry continues into the early hours of the morning.
Italy
Venice Carnival
It's still winter in February in Venice, and a little chilly, but with blue skies and clear skies, there's no gloom at all. Unlike the quiet Venice in the sound of boats and lights in the past, these days, you can hear the sound of people's clattering footsteps and happy laughter from afar. People of different colors and languages are in a hurry to the same destination - the world-famous St. Mark's Square in Venice, where the annual "City of Water" Carnival is reaching its climax.
The Venice Carnival is one of the oldest and largest carnivals in the world today. Carnivals in Europe are said to have their origins in the ancient festival of Shennong. Every year, as winter turns to spring, people automatically gather together to sing and dance and celebrate the beginning of the new year's agricultural activities. The origin of the Venetian Carnival is also said: the 12th century, the ancient city-state of Venice **** and the country is growing strong. 1162 in the early spring, it won the nearby Aquileia feudal city-state, dominating the side. To celebrate this victory, the Venetians took to the streets singing and dancing for days on end. Since then, they have celebrated this time of year. More than 200 years later, in 1296, the Catholic city-state officially fixed the time of the annual festivities according to the schedule of religious festivals, starting the day before Lent, which occurs between the beginning of February and the beginning of March, and continuing for about two weeks. To the 18th century, the carnival activities were flourishing, European princes and ministers, gentlemen and ladies are rushed to Venice, to watch the wonderful indoor music and theater performances, to participate in the streets and squares of the public carnival. Venice then won the title of carnival city. 19th century, Venice **** and the gradual decline of the country, the carnival gradually lost vitality. Until nearly 20 years ago, with the development of tourism, Venice's carnival activities to resume, Venice Carnival to shine again.
The Venice Carnival is best characterized by its masks, followed by its magnificent costumes. This tradition can be traced back to 1700 years ago. The powerful and the poor could blend together through the masks. Behind the masks, social differences are temporarily removed. The rich become poor and the poor become rich. They greeted each other with respect.
Behind the mask, age differences are eliminated, the old become young, and the young become old and dignified all at once. The young and the little people dress themselves up as big people with the authority represented by the masks. And the old man tries very hard to make himself look young, even the more ignorant and stupid the better; a man can become a woman, and a woman can become a man.
On a normal day, Venice is always crowded with tourists. It was as if the Venetians were used to so many tourists wandering around their city. Their streets are so narrow that they can't seem to accommodate so many people. However, tourists from all over the world still come here. There is no doubt that the number of visitors increases exponentially during the Carnival period, especially during the Carnival weekend.
The Venice Carnival is usually held in the last days of winter or the first days of spring. This means that the cold temperatures force you to dress heavily to the point that it affects your mobility.
Once you enter the watery alleys of Venice and take a look at the colorful masks, there's probably no one who won't be attracted to the watery city in the midst of the carnival. Masks of all colors are a big feature of the Venice Carnival, and they look a bit like Peking Opera faces to the Chinese. The streets are full of hooked face people singing and dancing, as if staging a big show, this is the Venice Carnival to the reporter's impression. There are countless mask stores in the streets of Venice, each with its own specialties, some collecting fashionable cloaks, some specializing in high top hard hats, and some demonstrating the craft of mask making on the spot. "Masks can be as simple as painting on your face or as elaborate as papier-maché, fabric, porcelain, glass or even plastic, and they **** all share the same characteristics of exaggeration, flamboyance and theatricality that will dazzle you and make you lose track of where you are.
People who come to visit the carnival cross the alleys and bridges and converge on St. Mark's Square from all directions. It has become a showcase for masks and costumes, with many people dressed from head to toe, some as 17th-century aristocrats and others as movie characters. This reporter saw a lady dressed as a noble lady, and tried to ask her about the origin of this outfit, but she did not understand much Italian, it seems to be a foreign tourist, specially to the Water City to join in the fun.
12:00 noon, the large St. Mark's Square was tens of thousands of people came to the carnival crowded, dressed in ancient costumes of the honor guard to the front of the Grand Duke's House, some people dressed as ancient Venetian dignitaries on the podium, St. Mark's Church bells ringing, the host announced that the Venice Carnival officially began, the square resounded with thunderous applause. At this time, is located in the square on the central side of the 100-meter-high bell tower, the world's women's fencing gold medalist, the Italian fencer Frida dressed as an angel, silver, swinging wings, slowly from the sky, to bring people good wishes.
People in disguise strolled around the square, attracting the attention of those who came and went to take photos. An Italian woman dressed in 18th-century clothing, holding a fan. She told reporters that she is a native of the island of Venice, the costume she has been used for several years, the price is about 2,000 euros. Most of these people are just like actors and actresses, who enter into different roles depending on their attire. They are mysterious to outsiders, they don't speak, you can only see their uncovered eyes, and it's hard to tell what they really are. This entertaining game lasts for more than 10 days before the people take off their masks, reveal themselves and return to their true selves.
Ivrea's 'orange wars'
Residents of the northern Italian town of Ivrea say it's not exclusive to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Every year, three days before the start of the Catholic Lenten season, the seventh Wednesday before Easter, the people of Ivrea go wild, not with samba, but with something even more peculiar -- the "orange fight.
Origins
Ivrea is located north of Turin, at the foot of the Alps, and has 25,000 permanent residents. The "battle of the oranges" is not just a spoof, as the New York Times says, and outsiders will be impressed by the medieval town's legend when they learn about it.
There are at least two versions of the origins of the Battle of the Oranges. The first is a relatively simple story about a medieval feudal lord who gave the poor a tin of beans before the start of Lent, and who poured them out into the street as a sign of defiance, later replacing them with oranges.
The second is a long story. Still dating back to the Middle Ages, when Ivrea was ruled by the evil and cruel lord Ranieri Biandrat. He decreed that every bride in the region must first share his room on the night of her wedding. This tyranny lasted for many years, ending only when the miller's daughter, Violetta, was married - the clever Violetta used a pre-hidden axe to hack to death the Biandrat who had forced her to sleep with him on her wedding night, and inspired by her, the local inhabitants rose up to seize Biandrat's castle and burn it to the ground.
Since then, the Ivrea people have thrown oranges around as Bijndrat's head, which has evolved into the "orange wars" over time. So, says the New York Times, the "Orange War" is full of symbolism, with the smashed flesh and juice representing the blood of tyrants.
Rules
"It's a holiday that represents the people's resistance to all forms of oppression," said resident Robert Vola, 43.
The rules of the "Battle of the Oranges" illustrate the point well. In the "Battle of the Oranges," participants are divided into three groups: "fighters," "enemies" and spectators. The "fighters" wore medieval civilian dress, the "foes" wore helmets and thick medieval armor, and the spectators generally wore red bandanas to protect them from accidental injury.
The "fighters" represent the civilian resistance to the tyranny of the **** thousands of people, they are divided into nine teams, in each of the town's five main squares to claim a piece of land belonging to their own team, ready countless oranges waiting for the enemy to appear.
The "enemy" is played by volunteers, representing the "tyrant" guards. This is a hard job, they are divided into 46 horse-drawn carts, each car 6 people, in the city, every place, will be a storm of "orange shells" attack, so they must be well protected, the carts also have oranges for the "enemy" to return fire. They had to be well protected, and there were oranges on the wagon for the "enemy" to use to return fire. As a rule, the horses pulling the wagons were not allowed to be attacked, but often they were not spared.
To protect spectators, fishnets were placed on the roofs of stores around the streets during the carnival so that the "rain of oranges" would not fall from the sky and injure the spectators. Thousands of people start out watching, but as the "battle" progresses, many become "fighters" as well.
Catharsis
However, getting hit by hard oranges in the middle of winter hurts, but locals are used to it and enjoy it, with many children and women taking part in the "battle".
"It does get a little wild," Elizabeth Daughtry, a 20-year-old girl, told The New York Times during a brief interlude in the fight, but that doesn't stop girls from participating. We can do all the things that boys do, and boys are better at attacking, but they're kind of dumb."
"If you're born here, this event is in your heart, and I'm going to keep participating as long as my body allows me to," said Mario Bianchi, a 55-year-old "warrior." His face was a testament to the brutality of the "fight," with a gaping hole in his forehead and blood pouring down his face, mixed with red orange juice.
Bianchi said this was nothing, as he had been hit directly in the eye by an orange during the battle and had to undergo surgery. He said, "It's not violence, but it's a way to vent the violence in your mind."
As the "orange wars" subsided at dusk, a Times reporter who witnessed the revelry wrote: "The flesh and pulp of rotten oranges were everywhere under my feet in the square in downtown Ivrea, which was transformed into a sea of red orange sludge. I really don't know how the sanitation crews are going to get the square back in shape."
Worra, for his part, said there was no need to worry about that, and that after the revelry was over, the rest of the day the town was quiet
Nizza Carnival
The Nizza Carnival in Italy, which dates back to 1294, is Europe's oldest carnival, and runs from the end of January to the middle of February, during which time, no matter what time of the year you come here, it's a colorful, floral, fireworks, theater and musical A sea of color, flowers, fireworks, theater and music.
Britain
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's largest street culture and arts festival, which is held annually in the Notting Hill area of London's West End. Most of Notting Hill's black residents do not come from Africa, but from other parts of the Caribbean or Latin America. It is the Notting Hill immigrant culture nurtured the Notting Hill Carnival. 1960s, gathered in the Notting Hill area of the West Indies immigrants due to homesickness and organized a carnival, but at that time, but only a small group of people dressed in national costume, beating steel drums in the street to walk around only. Decades later, it has grown to become a multicultural festival on a grand scale and one of London's hottest tourist attractions.
Of all the carnivals in the world, the Notting Hill Carnival is second only to the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Notting Hill Carnival has always been known for its strong Caribbean flavor. In terms of costumes and masks, the Notting Hill Carnival is like a strange and gorgeous masquerade; in terms of music, steel drum bands, calypso songs, and soca music are the soul of the Notting Hill Carnival. The strong rhythm of the steel drums is enough to make the heartbeat immediately speed up with the beat; Calypso songs are often improvised according to the latest current affairs and social hotspots to change the lyrics, but the lyrics and songs of humor and irony of the nature of the unchanged.
Germany
Cologne Carnival
The Cologne Carnival is the most festive carnival in Germany. Second only to the Brazilian Carnival, it features clowns and maniacs, whose grotesque costumes and carefree demeanor make the crowds scream.
Viva K?ln (Kölle Alaaf), which is the slogan used every year for Carnival, is chanted punctually at the beginning of the carnival. Its climax is the fool's hour of the carnival parade on the Monday before Lent. This is when people chant Cologne Stand Up, Ask for Sugar, and Ask for Flowers. During this lively event, people cheer and let loose, and the banks of the Rhine are filled with laughter and song.
Cutting ties is a unique custom of the Cologne carnival. In the "Women's Carnival Night" day, the German girls with large scissors in the street patrol, eyeing, waiting for an opportunity to move, see a man wearing a tie is a click cut his tie. Local people are familiar with this custom, this day are dressed in civilian clothes, confused to lose most of the foreigners, especially in the Cologne area of the airport are hanging everywhere to cut the necktie. It is said that a Chinese actor was once chased down a dozen streets by several German women with shears! But there are also a lot of men who deliberately buy some broken or even paper ties to go out on the streets and enjoy the taste of flirting with a young girl of their age.
On the morning of Rose Monday, the parade, the highlight of the carnival, begins. People walk in groups drinking beer, playing accordions, wearing colorful costumes and grotesque masks. The police on the side of the road also changed their usual majesty and let the girls cut colorful lip marks on their faces. In the vast parade, there were thousands of performing teams, each with their own bands, floats and unique costumes, which were a sight to behold. The floats feature a variety of models, many of today's leaders, with Bush, Pupkin, Saddam and Bin Laden often chosen for mockery. As the floats traveled, thousands of spectators on the sidewalks chanted "Give me candy," and chunks of chocolate, candy and countless flowers rained down from the floats. Children, with a large cloth pocket hanging from their chests, pick up the candies desperately on the ground, while adults leap up to intercept large chocolates from the air. Some people simply hold an umbrella or a hat upside down, in a short while has been full of. The party lasted for five hours, and the Germans, who are usually so strict, finally went crazy on this day.
Interestingly, the total length of the Cologne Carnival parade route is 7 kilometers, while the length of the procession is 6.5 kilometers. That means that from the beginning to the end of the parade route is filled with people, cars and horses participating in the parade. Although the total duration of the parade is 5 hours, spectators often arrive at the site already 2 or 3 hours in advance in order to force a good spot. Therefore, in February, when the spring is still cold, it is not easy to stand in the open air for 7 or 8 hours to watch the carnival, not to mention that many people do not leave immediately after the parade, but rather to participate in open-air carnivals, "bar" dancing in the pubs, or to mingle with the crowds wandering in the streets until midnight. At midnight the following day, Tuesday, the carnival comes to an end. People take down the figures representing the carnival that are hung on the doors of restaurants and bars and burn them, thus declaring "Ash Wednesday" and the end of the carnival.
Siegmaringen Carnival
Held in February, in Germany, in addition to Christmas, I am afraid that the biggest holiday is the carnival. 18th century, the end of the French army occupied Germany, the local carnival took on a new meaning, it became a way to rebel against the military oppression of the civilian population and a way of airing their grievances and opportunities. People mocked all who wore military uniforms and organized parades, in which participants wore strange uniforms, carried wooden lances, and engaged in armed training, and people deliberately acted crazy while dancing and did some hilarious antics.
Dusseldorf Carnival
Germany's Dusseldorf Carnival is one of Europe's most well-attended and lively carnivals. Thousands of parades and millions of visitors*** enjoy the delicious beer and fun atmosphere, shouting, laughing, making noise, dancing and, if you can't stand the cold outside, going to the pubs to party hard.
Belgium
Banche Carnival
Banche is located in the central Belgian province of Hainaut, about 56 kilometers from the capital, Brussels. The carnival, held in February every year, attracts neighboring French, Germans and Dutch to help celebrate. The festival has the same meaning as the Spring Festival in China: to celebrate the old and welcome the new. Funny clowns "Rilak" is the main character of the carnival parade, they pedal 4-inch thick wooden shoes, wearing red and yellow tights, head a meter long colorful ostrich feathers, in the clanging and bright drums, stepping out of the Belgian folk enthusiastic and joyful dance. King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium came to the carnival of the new millennium in Banche, a move that made headlines in the Belgian media the next day.
By tradition, drinks and beer are served free of charge in all the stores in Banche on Carnival day. There is no nationality, no color, just revelry, indulgence and joy. The highlight of the carnival is the orange toss, where clowns hold bamboo baskets in their hands and scatter golden oranges, which symbolize good luck and are said to bring good fortune to those who receive them, to the cheering crowds. Greetings of "good luck", laughter and screams of the people turned the quiet old city of Banshee upside down.
In November 2003, the Banche Carnival was inscribed on UNESCO's "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". It is one of four European masterpieces of intangible heritage, the other three being puppetry in Sicily, Italy, cross-shaped folklore in Lithuania and mystery plays in Spain.
France
Nice Carnival
To honor tradition and keep up with the times, every Nice Carnival since the 1950s has had a theme, with concepts such as circus, clowning, food, laughter, madness, love, the 20th century, the new millennium and Europe all having inspired carnivals and provided a stage for artists to use their imagination.
Carnival is the highlight of Nice's winter season and a major investment for the city. The parade of floats interspersed with colorful cars and the beautiful girls on the floats throwing flowers to the visitors is one of the main features of the Nice Carnival, and the bill for the flowers alone is a huge sum of money.
With this annual carnival, Nice, which is full in the summer thanks to the beaches and sunshine, has no shortage of excitement in the off-season.
Canada
Ottawa Winter Carnival
Locals enjoy skating on the Rideau Canal, which becomes an ice-skating track. Ottawa's Winter Carnival is held here every February.
Winter Carnival is an annual event in many parts of Canada. It starts the first weekend in February and lasts for two weeks. During the carnival, a wide variety of recreational and sports activities are held, all of which are centered around the theme of snow and ice. Canada's capital city of Ottawa and Quebec City, capital of Quebec Province, held the largest winter carnival, the form and content is also the most distinctive. The Ottawa Winter Carnival began to be officially held in 1979, and its purpose is to let people try to go out and interact with others during the long winter, thus enriching people's winter life, cultivating ice and snow culture, attracting more foreign tourists, and promoting the development of local tourism.
USA
New Orleans Mardi Gras
If Dusseldorf Mardi Gras isn't enough for you, head to New Orleans for Fat Tuesday, the most festive day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Mardi Gras "kings" lead the two main parades through the streets, you want to participate in the field lasts all day carnival, you have to make up, if you can make friends with the local people, let them help you design a most distinctive regional attire, you can participate in the festivities that only the locals can participate in, if your friends can If you have friends who can take you there, you're sure to have the Carnival of Orléans to remember for the rest of your life.
Bolivia
Orulo Carnival
Orulo Carnival in Bolivia is one of the most distinctive carnivals in the continent, a week-long revelry in which people dressed in gaudy costumes dance in the streets, reveling in a special way that is not only an expression of the triumph of good over evil, but also a cultural blend of religion and tradition, Christianity and Hinduism. blended into one.
Ghost dance costumes are distinctively designed and made, and have developed into one of Oruro's great art forms. There are a number of Ghost Dance clubs, each with around 40-300 members, and each club relies on entrepreneurs to fund the costumes as they can cost hundreds of dollars each. People start rehearsing for the dance months before Mardi Gras.
Dominican
Carnival in the Dominican **** and country is increasingly attracting attention from the world as it retains some of the characteristics of the Spanish colonial period, in addition to showcasing the island's black African culture. The costumes, masks, make-up, singing, dancing and music are all fascinating here.
Trinidad
Carnival on this Caribbean island begins in February and lasts more than a week. The festivities include musical performances and a national music competition, a masquerade ball, the selection of the "king" and "queen" of the parade, and dancing and singing into the wee hours of the morning.
Colorful feathers, mud and oils are all used in Carnival costumes, which are exchanged in the early morning hours of the second day as the parade draws to a close. There is no set parade route for the colorful floats, which are scattered throughout the city.
Uruguay
A participant in the opening parade of Carnival in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, Jan. 30, 2004, walks and dances in heavy makeup. Uruguay's Carnival, which will last for more than a month, is the longest-running carnival in the world.
A participant dances to the rhythm of the black music "Candomblé" during the Carnival in Montevideo, Uruguay, February 6, 2004, in the Uruguayan capital.
Israel
March 4-5, 2007 is the traditional Jewish festival of Purim. It is also known as Israel's Mardi Gras because of the exaggerated costumes and masks worn by Israelis during the festival.
Greece
Galahidi Carnival
On March 13, 2005, people caroused in the small town of Galahidi, about 300 kilometers from the Greek capital Athens. The day was the first Monday after the official end of the Greek Orthodox Carnival, also known as Clean Monday. Every year on Clean Monday, Galahidi holds a unique carnival. The revelers are concentrated in the streets on the northern shore of the harbor, and whether they know each other or not, they attack each other with flour spiked with various natural pigments, as a way of expressing their blessings to each other, similar to the Water Festival in Thailand.