If you love France…
If you have loved the Venice carnival…
You will love the nicest French carnival… The Nice’ carnival!!!
Historically, the first reference comes back to 1294 when “Charles d’Anjou” does a reference to it. A funny, well, an interesting detail is that Rio’s carnival seems to come from Nice’ carnival.
The modern one was born in 1873.A man decided to give more importance to the carnival, and to coordinate efforts. Floats are made, and some are very particular...
- Since 1873, loads of floats are made more original one than another. The aim is of course to impress both visitors and Nice’ people.
- The flower battle is not an historic battle, but a big parade composed of 20 floats entirely decorated with flower that give a wonderful mosaic of colours and perfume. And it’s not imported flowers! (Not too much...) It’s local production, real French flowers! People over those floats send hundreds of flowers over people came to see this demonstration.
- The train “of pleasure”, floats of music, “its majesty carnival”, official song of the carnival... The comity has an imagination without end when it is a question to find new ideas...
Nowadays, there are also big mechanized bots. Creativity, imagination, talent... Nice has everything to make himself one of the best carnival in the world, even if it is not really famous. If you have the luck one day to go there.... don’t forget to send us photos!!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
CADIZ CARNIVAL, SPAIN
Cadiz‘s carnival is one of the most famous carnival in Spain with the carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The carnival of Cadiz seems to be like the Christians heritage. Its first signification is that it’s authorized to eat all kind of appetites which are prohibited during the lent period.
The Carnival is, with its signification social and psychological, equilibrated in all kind of subjects, even if in 1523 Carlos I banned the wear of masks.
With the time, a different carnaval was born in Cadiz. Cadiz met a big influence from Italia in the XV Century during their moving to Turkish‘s Mediterranean sea.
Traders and storekeepers coming to Occident met in Cadiz a settlement very communicative with their commercial objectives: North and Centre of Africa.
Masks, confetti, and all the rest are elements assimilated from Italian carnivals.
Cadiz carnival occurs during eleven days without taking in the times for the competition, gastronomic acts, and general rehearsals, and the “carnaval chiquito “(small carnival), or “carnaval de los jartibles”.
During the carnival’s week we can see illegal groups in different sites from the town organizing competitions of chorus slide trays, ceremonials for the Greek gods like the Goddess of carnival, the burning of the God Momo, of the Witch Piti, popular activities etc..
From the first Thursday, to the final Sunday is standing a big tent for disguised dances.
The different folk song you can hear there are : “tango”, “paso doble” ( double passing),” la parodia” ( the parody ), “el cuplé”(variety song), “ el estribillo “ ( the tune , sang by all the groups in the town together ), “el popurri” (potpourri) and , “el tema libre” (free theme ).
All the music done by boxes, bass-drum, guiro, guitars, keys and kazoo !
Now let’s get enjoying the festivities of carnival in south of Spain, you will like Andalusia! )
The carnival of Cadiz seems to be like the Christians heritage. Its first signification is that it’s authorized to eat all kind of appetites which are prohibited during the lent period.
The Carnival is, with its signification social and psychological, equilibrated in all kind of subjects, even if in 1523 Carlos I banned the wear of masks.
With the time, a different carnaval was born in Cadiz. Cadiz met a big influence from Italia in the XV Century during their moving to Turkish‘s Mediterranean sea.
Traders and storekeepers coming to Occident met in Cadiz a settlement very communicative with their commercial objectives: North and Centre of Africa.
Masks, confetti, and all the rest are elements assimilated from Italian carnivals.
Cadiz carnival occurs during eleven days without taking in the times for the competition, gastronomic acts, and general rehearsals, and the “carnaval chiquito “(small carnival), or “carnaval de los jartibles”.
During the carnival’s week we can see illegal groups in different sites from the town organizing competitions of chorus slide trays, ceremonials for the Greek gods like the Goddess of carnival, the burning of the God Momo, of the Witch Piti, popular activities etc..
From the first Thursday, to the final Sunday is standing a big tent for disguised dances.
The different folk song you can hear there are : “tango”, “paso doble” ( double passing),” la parodia” ( the parody ), “el cuplé”(variety song), “ el estribillo “ ( the tune , sang by all the groups in the town together ), “el popurri” (potpourri) and , “el tema libre” (free theme ).
All the music done by boxes, bass-drum, guiro, guitars, keys and kazoo !
Now let’s get enjoying the festivities of carnival in south of Spain, you will like Andalusia! )
The carnival of New Orleans
The first Shrove Tuesday in Louisiana, March 3rd, 1699, was a ceremony in honour of the explorer René Robert Cavelier, who had given the naming of " no Shrove Tuesday " to a strip of land situated in the delta of the Mississipi, to hundred of kilometres in the South of the New intended Orléans.
And it was only in 1827,when the Creole population make a pressure, that the celebrations of Shrove Tuesday were legalized. At the beginning of the XIXth century, demonstrations were very agitated and sprayed... The government wanted to annulate this demonstration when six young people of the Mississipi organized a parade in the evening of Shrove Tuesday (we are in 1857).
It was a success, and the tradition of the parade was definitively established.
Since 1870, the parades consist of tanks and brass bands,( " marching bands "). During the parades, the crowd receives necklaces, cups, doubloons and other objects thrown (lancé) by the persons dressed up on tanks.
Today, the carnival begins with a big ball, and during seven or eight weeks during which succeed one another shows,greedy weeks and the other demonstrations…
Carnavaliers wear necklaces green symbolizing the faith, purple, symbolizing the justice now, symbolizing the power.
For intéréssés We party all day long in streets, we drink and we dance.
Bourbon Street in particular, the tradition wants that the women show their bosoms or the buttocks to the men perched on balconies to obtain the necklaces which they present them. The opposite is also valid: the men also show their attributes to the women for the same reasons, and the homoes, similar.There is also competition of deguisés and other dogs contribute atypical …
The first Shrove Tuesday in Louisiana, March 3rd, 1699, was a ceremony in honour of the explorer René Robert Cavelier, who had given the naming of " no Shrove Tuesday " to a strip of land situated in the delta of the Mississipi, to hundred of kilometres in the South of the New intended Orléans.
And it was only in 1827,when the Creole population make a pressure, that the celebrations of Shrove Tuesday were legalized. At the beginning of the XIXth century, demonstrations were very agitated and sprayed... The government wanted to annulate this demonstration when six young people of the Mississipi organized a parade in the evening of Shrove Tuesday (we are in 1857).
It was a success, and the tradition of the parade was definitively established.
Since 1870, the parades consist of tanks and brass bands,( " marching bands "). During the parades, the crowd receives necklaces, cups, doubloons and other objects thrown (lancé) by the persons dressed up on tanks.
Today, the carnival begins with a big ball, and during seven or eight weeks during which succeed one another shows,greedy weeks and the other demonstrations…
Carnavaliers wear necklaces green symbolizing the faith, purple, symbolizing the justice now, symbolizing the power.
For intéréssés We party all day long in streets, we drink and we dance.
Bourbon Street in particular, the tradition wants that the women show their bosoms or the buttocks to the men perched on balconies to obtain the necklaces which they present them. The opposite is also valid: the men also show their attributes to the women for the same reasons, and the homoes, similar.There is also competition of deguisés and other dogs contribute atypical …
CARNIVAL OF COLOGNE
Cologne is one of the most ancient metropolises of Germany already possessing historic, cultural and artistic treasures so much they are many. The carnival is a supplementary element of this heritage.
Even if it is officially at the time of Shrove Tuesday, the carnival is already in all the spirits from November.
From November 11th, the spirits warm up and everybody are occupied to prepare the festivities which will last five days. They are distributed in various categories: there is on one hand an "official" carnival with at least 400 parades and balls, the carnival kind genre "comedy" which makes fun at the official carnival and the carnival of the streets where the groups of samba mix with to the clowns. Whether it is in streets, in houses, in the offices, on the places, or in the bars, all Cologne celebrates its "crazy days ", because it’s like that the inhabitants name the carnival.
The carnival of Cologne is a part of traditions of the city then it is necessary respect numerous rites. At first, it always begins Thursday with the carnival of the women. These ladies come down in the street, dressed in their most extravagant costume and have all the rights. For example, the right to cut the tie of the men. At 11:11 am, all the participants gather in Alter Markt, a historic place of the city center, in the presence of the Prince, of the Farmer and of the Virgo, three symbolic characters of the carnival. The party is going full swing until Tuesday at midnight when all the dolls which protect from the misfortune are burned. A feeling of sadness seizes then the city and all the people say : " deeply the next year ".
Cologne is one of the most ancient metropolises of Germany already possessing historic, cultural and artistic treasures so much they are many. The carnival is a supplementary element of this heritage.
Even if it is officially at the time of Shrove Tuesday, the carnival is already in all the spirits from November.
From November 11th, the spirits warm up and everybody are occupied to prepare the festivities which will last five days. They are distributed in various categories: there is on one hand an "official" carnival with at least 400 parades and balls, the carnival kind genre "comedy" which makes fun at the official carnival and the carnival of the streets where the groups of samba mix with to the clowns. Whether it is in streets, in houses, in the offices, on the places, or in the bars, all Cologne celebrates its "crazy days ", because it’s like that the inhabitants name the carnival.
The carnival of Cologne is a part of traditions of the city then it is necessary respect numerous rites. At first, it always begins Thursday with the carnival of the women. These ladies come down in the street, dressed in their most extravagant costume and have all the rights. For example, the right to cut the tie of the men. At 11:11 am, all the participants gather in Alter Markt, a historic place of the city center, in the presence of the Prince, of the Farmer and of the Virgo, three symbolic characters of the carnival. The party is going full swing until Tuesday at midnight when all the dolls which protect from the misfortune are burned. A feeling of sadness seizes then the city and all the people say : " deeply the next year ".
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Belgium's carnival: Binche
The most famous, and not the only one, carnival in Belgium is the Binche's carnival.
Much shorter than the other carnival described before, this one takes place only during three days, from the sunday before lent to the Shrove tuesday.
It's actually on UNESCO heritage list, so centuries of story are over this event!
It is said that the first carnival comes back to the Middle ages, maybe 1549, Mary of Hungary celebrating the conquest of Peru by Charles V 's conquistadores.
The little medieval city of Binche became really famous when its specific fancy costumes, music, and characters were established.
The Gilles are the emblem of this original carnival, and also of the town itself. There are quite strange, with costume in both red, white, black and golden colours. Everybody seems to be very big with it! About 900 Gilles are presents nowadays. And only men can be Gilles!!!
Traditionnal tunes are played by violas, drums, clarinets. Much work is needed during the whole year to prepare everyone to both playing music and dancing.
A little decription of the 3-days carnival:
Sunday: A parade allows everybody to discover the costumes which can be from many different inspirations, like animals or stereotype's people. There is music and everyone walk through the city.
Monday: Also named the kid's days, three differents groups of music go from a coffee to another one, playing Barrel organ and finally, they are invited by the town to take a drink. At 7PM, a firework is launched.
Tuesday: The most important day. It begins at 4AM. Every Gilles goes to see others Gilles and drink champagne. For their breakfast, they eat oyster and champagne... why not! Their wax mask symbolises, like in Venice, egality between everyone. They have a parade during the afternoon and everything ends at the night.
Much shorter than the other carnival described before, this one takes place only during three days, from the sunday before lent to the Shrove tuesday.
It's actually on UNESCO heritage list, so centuries of story are over this event!
It is said that the first carnival comes back to the Middle ages, maybe 1549, Mary of Hungary celebrating the conquest of Peru by Charles V 's conquistadores.
The little medieval city of Binche became really famous when its specific fancy costumes, music, and characters were established.
The Gilles are the emblem of this original carnival, and also of the town itself. There are quite strange, with costume in both red, white, black and golden colours. Everybody seems to be very big with it! About 900 Gilles are presents nowadays. And only men can be Gilles!!!
Traditionnal tunes are played by violas, drums, clarinets. Much work is needed during the whole year to prepare everyone to both playing music and dancing.
A little decription of the 3-days carnival:
Sunday: A parade allows everybody to discover the costumes which can be from many different inspirations, like animals or stereotype's people. There is music and everyone walk through the city.
Monday: Also named the kid's days, three differents groups of music go from a coffee to another one, playing Barrel organ and finally, they are invited by the town to take a drink. At 7PM, a firework is launched.
Tuesday: The most important day. It begins at 4AM. Every Gilles goes to see others Gilles and drink champagne. For their breakfast, they eat oyster and champagne... why not! Their wax mask symbolises, like in Venice, egality between everyone. They have a parade during the afternoon and everything ends at the night.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
ORURO’S CARNIVAL , BOLIVIA
Oruro is situated at the height of the Altiplano in Bolivia ,3700m in high altitude over the sea .
In this mining town , without any interest during the rest of the year, begins an absolute must when rings the time of it’s carnival...
Oruro’s carnival is the biggest of the country, and it unfolds around the 5 or 6 of February for one week of craziness. Bolivian carnival is made from pagan believes, Christian religion, and Andes ‘folklore. It pays homage to the good and the wrong, to the Virgin of the Christian Candeleria and to the pagan devil incarnated by Tio, the mine's demon. It also reflects Oruro’s History.
The Columbian's rituals which had been practiced by the Uru’s tribues was forbidden by the Spanish in the XVII century. Like it happens often in Latin America, the ancestral believes don’t have disappeared nowadays but they just have been adaptated with christianism.
The carnival imported by the Colons is a way to perpetuate their pagan rituals.
30 000 dancers and musicians participate to the carnival, 500 000 spectators come from over the country and faraway every year. The preparations start a few months before.
All the members of the 47 groups from where they come go to Oruro every Sunday
to remake meticulously their choregraphy of their respective “comparas”( companies of people working over the same theme). As for the artisans, we can see them in “Calle La Paz” prepare themselves all the year making costumes and masks decorated for the next edition.
“La Diablada” which is the more popular company starts the parade. For the catholics it represents the archangel San Michel on the devil and the 7 deadly sins which are also known as the capital vices . It represents the Virgin Socavon and to Tio too. This dance, officialy borned in 1904 is considerated like a truly institution.
Now just let get in admiration with Bolivian’s endurance !
In this mining town , without any interest during the rest of the year, begins an absolute must when rings the time of it’s carnival...
Oruro’s carnival is the biggest of the country, and it unfolds around the 5 or 6 of February for one week of craziness. Bolivian carnival is made from pagan believes, Christian religion, and Andes ‘folklore. It pays homage to the good and the wrong, to the Virgin of the Christian Candeleria and to the pagan devil incarnated by Tio, the mine's demon. It also reflects Oruro’s History.
The Columbian's rituals which had been practiced by the Uru’s tribues was forbidden by the Spanish in the XVII century. Like it happens often in Latin America, the ancestral believes don’t have disappeared nowadays but they just have been adaptated with christianism.
The carnival imported by the Colons is a way to perpetuate their pagan rituals.
30 000 dancers and musicians participate to the carnival, 500 000 spectators come from over the country and faraway every year. The preparations start a few months before.
All the members of the 47 groups from where they come go to Oruro every Sunday
to remake meticulously their choregraphy of their respective “comparas”( companies of people working over the same theme). As for the artisans, we can see them in “Calle La Paz” prepare themselves all the year making costumes and masks decorated for the next edition.
“La Diablada” which is the more popular company starts the parade. For the catholics it represents the archangel San Michel on the devil and the 7 deadly sins which are also known as the capital vices . It represents the Virgin Socavon and to Tio too. This dance, officialy borned in 1904 is considerated like a truly institution.
Now just let get in admiration with Bolivian’s endurance !
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