Top 10 Carnival traditions

If you were ever after a reason to party, Carnival season is it!

With roots in the Christian celebrations leading up to Lent, a time of fasting and restraint, this is the time of year to let loose.

Celebrated the world over, each country and region has developed its own unique carnival rituals and traditions – everything from food fights, glitzy trinkets, over-the-top costumes and mysterious masks.

Here are 10 of our favorite from around the world…

Beads, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

The two are so famously intertwined it almost feels as though you can’t have Mardi Gras without New Orleans.

Things kick off around two weeks before Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French) with daily parades and celebrations throughout the city – though funnily enough none of the major parades visit the infamous Bourbon Street and French Quarter due to their narrow streets.

The parades are made up of floats created by different Mardi Gras krewes (clubs). As the floats make their way along the parade route, krewe members throw little trinkets into the crowd in the form of jewelry, toys and other small items to the cries of “throw me something, mister!”

Of all these souvenirs the most famous are the beads.

Until the 1960s, the beads were simple colored strands, but today they feature everything from animals, four leafed clovers, figurines, sports logos, shot glasses and even LED lights!

A popular myth surrounding the beads is that you need to show a bit of skin (especially if you’re a woman) to receive them. The practice of flashing a bit of boob dates back to the 1880s and still happens around the tourist heavy areas of the city, but it certainly isn’t the norm or the only way to get your hands on some beads.

So don’t worry if you’re not comfortable going down the exhibitionist route (or you’re a man), parade participants throw beads to fully clothed crowd members as well.

Or you could always buy yourself a bunch from any of the many Mardi Gras shops around town.

Mardi Gras beads. Photo by Mark Gstohl

Waving for beads and treats at Mardi Gras. Photo by Ray Devlin

Krewe members throwing beads and treats to the crowd at Mardi Gras. Photo by Tulane Public Relations

Mardi Gras remains. Photo by treewoman8

Thousands of Dancers, Oruro, Bolivia

One thousand two hundred feet up in the mountains of western Bolivia lies the town of Oruro, an important pre-Columbian ceremonial site, especially known for the Ito festival, a religious ceremony that has been marked for more than 2,000 years.

Despite colonization in 1606 that led to the Spanish banning their indigenous ceremonies, Oruro continues to be a sacred site for the Uru people.

The Uru were able to practice their faith by concealing their gods behind Christian icons and the Ito festival gradually became a Christian ritual. The traditional llama llama (or diablada) became the main dance at the Carnival of Oruro.

The main event takes place on Sunday as 28,000 dancers, 10,000 musicians and 400,000 visitors make their way along a two-and-a-half-mile processional route, repeating the journey for a full 24 hours dressed in extravagant outfits.

The carnival was pronounced one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001.

Carnival of Oruro, Bolivia. Photo by bjaglin

Carnival of Oruro, Bolivia. Photo by CassandraW1

Carnival of Oruro, Bolivia. Photo by bjaglin

Burial of the Sardine, Spain

A funeral for a fish is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of carnival, but that’s exactly what happens in towns and cities across Spain.

Celebrations in Spain kick off in the same colorful and vibrant fashion that is seen in carnivals the world over before finishing up with a giant dead fish.

The Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) ceremony marks the end of carnival on Ash Wednesday. The “funeral” involves a procession complete with mourners dressed in black parading a model sardine in a coffin around the streets before it is finally set alight symbolizing rebirth and regeneration.

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) -the funeral procession. Photo by Benetússer Hoy

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) – the procession. Photo by Benetússer Hoy

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) – the mourners. Photo by Benetússer Hoy

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) – the burning. Photo by Benetússer Hoy

The Crazy Days, Cologne, Germany

Possibly the most appropriate name for the carnival period, Crazy Days celebrations start on Shrove Thursday with parties on the streets, in public spaces and in pubs (there are no closing times during the festival).

The street carnival begins with the Women’s Carnival (Weiberfastnacht) where local ladies dress up in their best costumes and cut off the ties of any man silly enough to come near them.

The main event is Rose Monday (Rosenmontag), a loud, colorful parade with floats, horses, music and thousands of people dressed in costumes.

Flowers and kamelle (candies) are thrown from the passing floats to shouts of “kamelle.” Sometimes fancier items are thrown such as chocolate bars, bottles of cologne and small gifts.

Throwing kamelle at Crazy Days, Cologne. Photo by Marco Verch

Reaching for kamelle at Crazy Days, Cologne. Photo by Marco Verch

Throwing kamelle at Crazy Days, Cologne. Photo by RuckSackKruemel

Crowds waiting for kamelle at Crazy Days, Cologne. Photo by Marco Verch

Bellringers, Rijeka, Croatia

Every year in the villages around the portside city of Rijeka, big hairy bear-like characters come out to play.

During Rijeka Carnival, Zvončari (bellmen) march from village to village chasing away evil spirits and starting the cycle of spring in an ancient pagan tradition that is now recognized by UNESCO.

All this is part of Riječki Karneval, the largest carnival in Croatia, and while some of the traditions like the bellringers date back hundreds of years, the modern day celebrations were established in 1982.

The standard Zvončari outfit is made up of white trousers, a striped shirt, a belt of bells and a sheepskin throw. Costumes vary slightly from village to village with some wearing animal head masks while others wear hats covered in beautiful flowers.

When the wild progression reaches a village, the bell ringers form circles in the town square making as much noise as possible until the residents offer them food and a place to rest before continuing to the next town.

Once they have completed their duties, each bellringer returns home collecting rubbish at each home they pass and burning it in a final ceremony.

Zvončari (bellmen) at Rijeka Carnival. Photo by Rijeka Tourist Board

Mini-Zvončari (bellmen) at Rijeka Carnival. Photo by Rijeka Tourist Board

Zvončari (bellmen) at Rijeka Carnival. Photo by Rijeka Tourist Board

Rijeka Carnival. Photo by Rijeka Tourist Board

Zvončari (bellmen) at Rijeka Carnival. Photo by Rijeka Tourist Board

Gilles, Binche, Belgium

Bespectacled, ginger-bearded men are the face of carnival in Binche, Belgium.

Known as Gilles, they are the oldest, and most famous, carnival participants. You’ll spot them starting at 4 a.m. on Shrove Tuesday dancing to traditional songs into the wee hours.

The tradition is so important to the local community the Carnival of Binche was proclaimed one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.

Every year around 1,000 Gilles, all male and some as young as 3 years old, don the traditional Gilles outfit of a linen suit with red, yellow and black designs (the colors of the Belgian flag), trimmed with large white lace cuffs and collars, and, of course, the unmistakable Gilles mask, which is worn all morning before being removed in the afternoon.

The final part of the day is a parade, where the Gilles throw oranges to (sometimes at) the crowd.

Gilles at Binche Carnival, Belgium. Photo by Carnaval de Binche

Gilles ready to throw oranges at Binche Carnival, Belgium. Photo by ines saraiva

Gilles throwing oranges at Binche Carnival, Belgium. Photo by Carnaval de Binche

Masks, Venice, Italy

The elegance and opulence of the Venice Carnival is perfectly captured by the tradition of the carnival mask.

The Carnival of Venice first appeared in 1162 and ran every year until 1797 when it was banned by the King of Austria and the wearing of masks was strictly forbidden.

Interest in the festival slowly grew throughout the 19^th century before it was officially relaunched in 1976.

Every year about 3 million visitors come to Venice especially for the Carnival and the key event is la maschera più bella (“the most beautiful mask”) competition.

There are eight traditional styles of mask the bauta, Columbina, Medico della Peste, Moretta, Volto, Pantalone, Arlecchino and Zanni. They were originally made of leather, porcelain or glass and designed in a simple, symbolic fashion while today’s best offerings are hand-painted and covered in everything from feathers to gold leaf.

Venice Carnival. Photo by Frank Kovalchek

Venice Carnival. Photo by heatherbroster

Venice Carnival. Photo by US Army Africa

Venice Carnival. Photo by Frank Kovalchek

Burani, Tirnavos, Greece

Starting on Shrove Monday, Burani celebrations combine a pagan fertility festival in honor of the god Dionysus with the beginning of the Greek Orthodox fasting period before Easter.

With its roots in antiquity, the first written record of the Burani celebrations dates from 1898.

The festival has faced its fair share of criticism with early 20^th century governments and the church calling it an offense against the moral standards of people, but even prohibitions on the carnival didn’t stop the people of Tirnavos celebrating in secret until 1980 when the custom was revised.

Today, the carnival of Tirnavos is the biggest in Central Greece, but what exactly is so offensive about Burani?

Well, it could be all the giant phalluses.

As groups of locals prepare the “Bourani” (spinach) soup, people dance, sing, joke and tease each other with rather obscene language.

Everyone who passes the soup has to stop and stir the mixture, take a sip straight from the pot and then drink a shot of tsipouro (local alcohol) from a phallic-shaped shot glass.

Hitting the Cat Out of the Barrel, Denmark

In Denmark, the official carnival celebration of Fastelavn is a time for children and families.

One child-centered tradition is slå katten af tønden – hit the cat out of the barrel.

Historically, a real black cat was placed in a barrel and the barrel beaten as a way to ward off evil.

Thankfully, the cats have been replaced with candy and treats, though the cat influence remains in the pictures stuck to the outside of the barrel.

Like a piñata, children hit the barrel until the candy spills out. The game ends when the entire barrel is broken.

The child who first splits the barrel becomes kattedronning (“queen of cats”) and the one who knocks out the last piece of the barrel becomes the kattekonge (“king of cats”).