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Carnival, with a capital C, refers to the multiple-day period of merrymaking before the start of Lent. It is especially associated with the massive street festival held annually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is famous for its big parades, ornate costumes, and samba dancing.

Carnival is also celebrated in many other countries, especially those with large Catholic populations, including Italy, Spain, France, and Germany (where it is called Fasching).

The equivalent pre-Lent celebration in the U.S. (especially New Orleans) and some other places is known as Mardi Gras.

In religious contexts, the three-day period before Lent is known as Shrovetide. Carnival is part of a tradition of indulging before the Lenten fast, but it is not a Christian holiday.

Carnival is also sometimes spelled Carnaval.

Carnival takes place during the days preceding Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. The length and start date of Carnival vary from place to place. The timing of the festival varies from year to year due to Easter having a variable date.

In 2024, Carnival festivities in Rio begin on Friday, February 9 and end Saturday, February 17. In 2025, it is scheduled to start on February 28.

The more general sense of carnival referring to an amusement fair comes from the capital C sense of Carnival. The first use of Carnival in English, dating to the 1540s, was as the name of the pre-Lent festival. It comes from the Old Italian word carnelevare, meaning “taking meat away,” from carne, “flesh,” and the Latin ���������, “to lift.” The name is a reference to the traditional practice of abstaining from meat during Lent.

Carnival was first celebrated in Europe. It was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. Though initially based on European customs, Carnival in Rio incorporates many traditions from Indigenous Brazilians as well as those passed down from enslaved African Peoples.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing Carnival?

• Rio de Janeiro
• Mardi Gras
• Fasching
• Lent
• festival
• parade
• costume
• samba
• party

Carnival is especially associated with the massive street festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which features huge parades and lavish costumes.

Some of this year's Rio Carnival floats are extraordinary. Utterly enormous and intricately decorated. Layer after layer of detail.

— David Sim (@davidsim)

These are some of the figurines/puppets that come out during Carnival in Olinda, Brazil. Whilst not as famous internationally as the Carnival in Rio, the Recife/Olinda Carnival is a huge, colourful event with the streets filled with the puppets that can be up to 20ft high!

— Alex Outhwaite (@AlexOuthwaite)

Love this story!!! Johan Cruyff: "One day, Romario asked me if he could miss training to go to Brazil for carnival. I said: 'If you score 2 goals tomorrow you can go.' He scored twice in 20 minutes against Real Madrid & asked to be replaced. 'Coach, my plane leaves in 1 hour.'"

— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK)

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True or False?

Carnival takes place immediately after Lent.