Carnival
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carnival (or Carneval) is a public celebration. It is mainly linked to the Catholic and Christian Orthodox Churches. In those religious systems, there is a 40 day period of fasting called Lent, which precedes the highest feast of the year, Easter.
Carnival usually takes place on the week-end before the Lenten fasting begins.
The festivities are celebrated differently around the world, but there are some common elements to all carnivals.
- People may disguise themselves (to be someone else). This is very popular with children.
- There are some public parades, which may feature ad-hoc orchestras.
- In some places there is a (ritualistic) burning of the winter spirits.
The general belief was that bright colors and loud noises would chase the spirits away. The disguising was so that the spirits would not recognise those who chased them away and could not take revenge.
The last day of the celebrations is usually Mardi Gras (roughly translates to fat tuesday). The fasting begins on Ash Wednesday.
Well known carnevals are those of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the Venice in Italy.
