It’s carnival time!

The exact dates of these traditional celebrations vary from one year to the
next but they usually begin just before the Christian observance of Lent between February
and early March. They generally start on a Thursday and end the following Tuesday, often
referred to as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. In some parts of the world, revellers on the
day following carnival practice the ritual Burial of the Sardine.
Carnivals offer local adaptations and mixes of practices such as the wearing of masks and
costumes and the holding of parades, and street parties. Carnival always suggests licence,
revelling and a reversal of ordinary rules. They often feature pre-Christian elements and
traditions such as the Roman Saturnalia and other festivities that honoured Dionysus or
Bacchus in Antiquity. In the Americas, carnivals present elements of ancient celebrations
rooted in pre-Columbian or African traditions.
Anthropologists generally consider carnival to be an heir to the ancient celebrations of the
end of winter and the imminent arrival of spring.
From Oruro in Bolivia, through Recife in Brazil, Barranquilla in Colombia, El
Callao in Venezuela, to Belgium and Austria, Croatia and Hungary, many festivities figure
on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for you to discover
and enjoy!

It’s carnival time! The exact dates of these traditional celebrations vary from one year to the
next but they usually begin just before the Christian observance of Lent between February
and early March. They generally start on a Thursday and end the following Tuesday, often
referred to as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. In some parts of the world, revellers on the
day following carnival practice the ritual Burial of the Sardine.
Carnivals offer local adaptations and mixes of practices such as the wearing of masks and
costumes and the holding of parades, and street parties. Carnival always suggests licence,
revelling and a reversal of ordinary rules. They often feature pre-Christian elements and
traditions such as the Roman Saturnalia and other festivities that honoured Dionysus or
Bacchus in Antiquity. In the Americas, carnivals present elements of ancient celebrations
rooted in pre-Columbian or African traditions.
Anthropologists generally consider carnival to be an heir to the ancient celebrations of the
end of winter and the imminent arrival of spring.
From Oruro in Bolivia, through Recife in Brazil, Barranquilla in Colombia, El
Callao in Venezuela, to Belgium and Austria, Croatia and Hungary, many festivities figure
on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for you to discover
and enjoy!