The Origin of Carnival

Carnival originated in Ancient Rome. The days of feasting and merry-making that characterized these early carnivals were in preparation for the forthcoming period of fasting that was observed during the Christian season of Lent. The word carnival is believed to be taken from the Italian carnevale. This derives from the Latin words carne and vale meaning ‘goodbye to meat’ and reflects the practice of abstaining from meat during Lent. Carnival quickly spread to other Italian cities and then throughout Europe. It was European colonists who introduced Carnival to the Americas.

Most of today’s carnivals are principally Afro-Caribbean in heritage. With the abolition of slavery in the 1800s, Caribbean ex-slaves took to the streets to celebrate newfound freedoms and to display the African spirit. Afro-Caribbean heritage and culture soon began to shape the festivities. The spread of the modern carnival began with the migration of West Indians to Europe and North America. Not willing to lose their identity, they formed cultural groups and societies that would, among other things, organize yearly carnival celebrations to keep the homeland spirit alive.

Notting Hill Carnival, London

The first carnival took place in 1964. Every Sunday night for over a decade, Trinidadian immigrants had been meeting in pubs in the Earl’s Court district of London to enjoy the sounds of jazz and the story-telling of calypso. In 1964, this spilled out of one of the pubs and inspired a tiny street party in neighbouring Notting Hill Gate. The carnival was born. In the early years, the carnival remained a very small affair, but by the mid-1970s the carnival had been embraced by many other local West Indian communities. By the 1980s it had grown into the largest street festival in Europe and the second largest in the world. Over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August, about a million visitors enjoy the sound systems and DJs, the reggae and steel drum music, the colourful processions and costumes and the dancing and partying that make the Notting Hill Carnival the multi-cultural but truly British experience that it is today.

Rio de Janeiro Carnival

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro takes place between late February and early March. It is the largest carnival in the world and attracts tourists from many countries.

The Rio Carnival was started in 1723 by immigrants from Portugal. The traditional Portuguese carnival involved people throwing household items at each other. Everything from pots, pans and cutlery to eggs, flour and fruit were used as missiles. This signified discarding the old to make way for the new. In Rio, assailants began to wear masks and fancy clothes to hide their identities and, by the mid-1800s, the carnival tradition of dressing up had become established. The samba, a local dance, added an Afro-Caribbean flavour to the carnival. Today the dance remains at the heart of the festivities with tens of thousands of dancers taking part each year in the carnival’s samba competition. Being elected king or queen of the carnival is a prestigious as well as lucrative honour. The idea was first introduced in 1933 when a paper doll in the shape of a king was left sitting on a throne to preside over the Carnival. The doll reigned until 1949 when it was replaced by an elected human. The first queen was chosen the following year.