Carnivals are known by different names in different countries, but the word "carnival” itself is said to derive from the Latin carnem (meat) and levare (to forego). Carnivals were first celebrated in the Catholic Church during the few days before Lent when people refrained from eating meat. The event is also said, however, to originate in an agricultural rite from pre-Christian Roman times, while in Germany it is said to refer to a unique life pattern established by the fusion of Christian and ancient German folk culture, where the custom was to celebrate the coming of spring. Inheriting long histories and traditions, carnivals have developed over the years reflecting different changes in different countries and regions. In this edition of Mitsubishi Monitor, we introduce some of the world’s best-known carnivals.

The Nice Carnival is said to be one of Europe’s three great carnivals. Each year, a theme with a royalty motif is chosen, and a parade takes place with magnificent floats elaborately decorated in accordance with that theme. Flower queens hurl bouquets of mimosa, garbera, and irises into the crowd of spectators from floats decorated with colorful flowers. At night, the festival is illuminated with beautiful lights and there is a grand fireworks display as the finale.

For Germans, Carnival is the biggest winter tradition after Christmas. In Cologne, the Cologne Carnival Celebration Committee was established in February of 1823 and laid down guidelines for a unique Carnival style. Today, a fancy-dress parade with people wearing traditional folk costumes and masks stretches for several kilometers, and to the shout of “Kölle Alaaf” children fight for Kamelle (candy) thrown from the floats. The streets are lined by hundreds of thousands of spectators who all have a great time singing and dancing to the music.

The Rio Carnival is all about samba. The sight of performers and spectators roused to a frenzy by the feverish samba music and dance is famous around the world. Dating from the 1700s, the Rio Carnival became a contest for prize money in 1933. Each year the Carnival attracts over a million visitors from around the world, with over 20,000 participants in the contest.

The Carnival of Venice dates to the 12th century. In the 18th century, it became a festival in which people disguised themselves with splendid costumes and masks. While it died out for a while, the Carnival was revived in the second half of the 20th century. Today, the streets of Venice overflow with people dressed in medieval costumes, presenting the atmosphere of a masquerade ball. The masks range from ones which only cover the eyes to those covering the whole face. The masks are adorned with feathers and other fancy trimmings.