Carnival is a major tradition in numerous regions and diverse cultures all over the world. People dress up, there are parades and parties, food and drinks abound, and of course, plenty of promiscuity. Do you know where this thrilling and historic custom comes from? The Carnival festival has been part of humanity’s folklore for centuries.
It turns out that different ancient civilizations (dating back several thousand years) have their own origins for Carnival. The ancient Greeks celebrated the god Momo during this time of year, the deity of poets and writers. Momo was a cheerful and humorous spirit who mocked everything, even other deities. The Romans, on the other hand, dedicated a yearly party to celebrate Dionysius, the god of wine and mirth. For the Sumerians, it was important to expel the evil spirits from the crops with a great feast. Meanwhile, the Egyptians consecrated these days to Apis, the god associated with fertility.
No matter the origin, there’s no doubt about Carnival’s ability to create exciting and unforgettable experiences for everyone. Carnival season brings lights, parades, and decadent rituals that turn everyday norms upside down. This time of year is special because it’s considered a rite of passage from darkness to light, from winter to summer (in the northern hemisphere, at least).

Carnival Celebrations Around the World

While carnival celebrations are common in many cities and towns around the world, some regions have more elaborate and popular carnival celebrations. Let’s take a look at some of them now!

Rio Carnival – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil hosts the biggest carnival event in the world, taking place in Rio de Janeiro every year. The event, which can be traced back to the early 1700s, involves around 200 million people.
The parades feature floats and colorful costumes, as well as performances by hundreds of samba schools and street bands.
The Sambadrome, the most unique part of the Rio Carnival, is a purpose-built parade area surrounded by grandstands where samba schools parade in direct rivalry with one another.
In Rio, during Carnival and also throughout the whole year, you can visit a samba school rehearsal or take a backstage Carnival tour to discover all the secrets of this legendary Brazilian tradition.

Kölner Karneval – Cologne, Germany

The Kölner Karneval, or Cologne Carnival, attracts over a million visitors every year, making it one of the world’s most important carnival celebrations. It occurs the week before Shrove Tuesday and features a number of fancy dress parades throughout the city.
Cologne‘s Carnival season (affectionately called the “fifth season”) officially begins earlier than most. The main events happen in February. The party begins with the Women’s Carnaval, when locals wear party clothes to work, followed by masquerade balls and festivities in the evening that last well into the night.
The Carnival festival is more exciting on the weekends, reaching its peak during the Monday of Roses parade (also known as Carnival Monday). The parade through Südstadt, the southern part of Cologne, features a variety of floats made from objects such as boxes of chocolates and candies that are sure a crowd-pleaser.

Carnaval de Nice – Nice, France

The Carnival in Nice, France is one of the world’s major carnival events, alongside Rio Carnival.
Every year, a different theme is chosen, and artisans make 18 floats and other miniatures out of traditional paper-mâché for the colorful procession.
The parades take place at all hours of the day and night, and “flower battles” take place along the Promenade des Anglais. They say that those who catch the bouquets will have a lucky year!

Carnevale di Venezia – Venice, Italy

A golden veteran on this list, Venice’s Carnival is said to have originated in the 12th century. In nearly 900 years, the festivities of the Venice Carnival have evolved quite a bit, but the tradition of wearing masks remains a central component and has become part of other Carnival celebrations all around the world. Even if you travel to Venice at a different time of year, you can learn how to make these traditional masks in a Venetian mask workshop.
But if you’re lucky enough to visit Venice during Carnival season, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of masks, such as the Bauta, the Colombina, or the Medico della Peste (plague doctor). Then you can take to the streets and canals for a unique Venice experience. If you prefer something more exclusive, don’t miss this Carnival party at the Venetian Galleon. You’ll understand why this is considered one of the best Carnivals in the world!
Consider Carnevale in Italy to be a large final party before Ash Wednesday, Lent’s limitations, and Easter’s more religious observances.
Carnevale is a big winter event in Italy that includes parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Children toss confetti at each other, as well as flour and raw eggs on occasion. Mischief and pranks are common during Carnevale in Italy, which is why the term “a Carnevale ogni scherzo vale” (literally, “anything goes at Carnevale”) comes to mind.
Decidedly more exclusive than its Western Hemisphere counterparts, Carnevale in Venice is less street shenanigans and more private galas and balls (tickets can be purchased on the festival’s official website), where you’re expected to arrive in an over-the-top original costume or mask—casual viewers can purchase their costumes, and other accessories, from local street vendors. One of the most iconic costume pieces are the face masks, which originated from the ancient Greek and Roman festivals, including the Bauta, a popular white mask that features a square jaw line and no mouth. They were originally used as a way to disguise people from lower classes, so everyone could join in on the parties and events. 
Venice is endlessly beautiful any day of the year, but it’s never more seductive than when it takes up the thread of its glorious history.

Viareggio Carnival, Tuscany, Italy

Of all the carnivals in Italy, Viareggio is one of the most dramatic, and that’s saying something. It has existed for 147 years and is marked by six immense parades that showcase the incredible works of papier-mâché art created for the event by talented artists. Pulled by huge wagons, the towering floats here are the biggest in the world and a major feat of design and engineering – they can reach up to 30 metres high and weigh close to 40 tonnes. Every year, the mammoth creations get bigger and better, drawing audiences from far and wide.
The parades are accompanied by masked balls, street shows, concerts and countless parties.

Farsang – Mohács, Hungary

The main event to celebrate Hungary’s Carnival season is Busójárás, which takes place in the town of Mohács, on the Danube River’s banks. The locals dress up as “Busós” in big, frightening masks with horns and oversized teeth, as well as a sheepskin costume that covers the entire body from head to toe.
Villagers dressed up as Busós to frighten away invading Turkish armies in the 17th century, according to legend. The ritual is being carried out today as a celebration of that victory, and the Busós are tasked with giving the people a ‘wake-up call’ after the long winter.
Huge feasts, balls, parties, fireworks, and bonfires signal the commencement of the celebrations, which begin with a raucous march through the city with 500-odd Busós arriving in rowboats on the Danube River.
Although Busójárás is the most well-known and well-attended event, there are numerous other smaller events, festivals, and masked balls held during Hungary’s Carnival season.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, is the last day of Carnival and always falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The most spectacular part of the New Orleans Carnival are the numerous parades organized by the Kreve. The Parade Krewe have their own history and a main theme; some have existed for decades. Doubloons, beads, cups and more are the traditional trinkets thrown from the floats to the cheering crowd: a tradition born in 1870 thanks to the Twelfth Night Revelers, and still awaited by everyone today. The first Mardi Gras parade was held in New Orleans on February 24, 1857 with the Krewe of Comus presenting a parade with masked floats, followed by a dance by the Krewe and their guests. Local Krewes offer what they call “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.” But many Krewes do not parade in the French Quarter but in other city neighborhoods, where the authenticity of tradition is preserved with marching bands, music everywhere, trinkets thrown into the air, doubloons and necklaces. Contrary to common perception, Mardi Gras is a family celebration. The best places to watch the parades is where they begin on St. Charles Avenue next to Napoleon. The portion of the St. Charles – Garden District – is suitable for families, where you can also have fun with picnics, playing ball or resting under the large oak trees. Trams in this area stop during Mardi Gras.

Tenerife Carnaval (Canary Islands, Spain)

Tenerife hosts numerous festivals all year round, but none of them come close to its famous Carnival celebration, which is considered the second most popular Carnival party in the world after Rio de Janeiro. The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival has filled the streets with explosions of joy and showers of color for several centuries. The city becomes one big, rainbow party for 15 days of pure extravagance, including a gala party to choose the Carnival queen, costumes, marches, and bohemian parades. In a break from partying while you’re in Tenerife, make sure to try the local Canarian food!

Oruro Carnaval (Bolivia)

What was once an indigenous celebration is now a festivity with a strong connection to religious symbolism in the form of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and Uncle Supay (God of the underworld). These two icons guide the festival, which features the ritual known as the “dance of the demons“, La Diablada, which represents the triumph of good over evil.
With thematic parades depicting the characters from a wide variety of folk myths and legends, Oruro’s Carnival celebration is one that definitely manages to turn normality on its head. While visiting the city, we recommend a visit to the National Anthropological Museum to learn the ins and outs of this ancient festival.

Binche Carnaval (Belgium)

In 2003, UNESCO proclaimed Binche’s carnival celebration a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity,” a testament to its unique character. It’s true that Belgium hosts several different Carnival celebrations during the same period, but the one in Binche stands out with its extravagant performers (known as Gilles), events where they throw oranges (a sign of good luck), and other slightly strange practices.
There is disagreement about the origin of this carnival celebration. One of the most popular theories says that one of the 14th-century Gilles was of Inca descent (a flattering but improbable theory) and wore a costume whose exotic appearance gained popularity among the locals. This might explain the huge feathered hats worn by today’s Gilles… or not.
Because Carnival is a precious tradition to the locals, they forbid visitors from buying the Gilles costume, which can only be rented to official participants. As a spectator, come dressed casually, and you’ll have more than enough fun admiring the creative costumes and tasting great food.

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidadians prepare all year to impress each other—and hundreds of thousands of onlookers—during the Caribbean’s biggest Carnival, where custom-made bathing suit–style costumes, steel drums, local street food, and dancing in the streets equal an ambush to the senses. An important Carnival term to know is “playing mas“, which means dancing through the streets in a costumed Carnival band. To be part of the parade you have to join one of the bands (there are hundreds to choose from), and you can sign up to participate online. Your band will guide you to costumes to purchase—or, you can join the street party for free in your own look. Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes and light clothing so you can party under the sun all day long.

Basel, Switzerland

You might not peg the Swiss as the raucous type, but Basel’s Carnival is one of Europe’s more notorious celebrations. Each year, an organized parade of some 20,000 revelers marches through the streets (decked out in costumes per the official theme of the year), but the real party begins when everyone branches off and embarks on their own bar crawls through the city, singing, acting, and boozing for hours. Following traditional customs, visitors are encouraged not to have any face painting, false noses, or jester cap’s, either.

Salvador, Brazil

We love Rio’s Carnival, but for an experience with (slightly) fewer Americans and an Afro-Brazilian heartbeat, head to Salvador, Brazil. Bahian Carnival is fueled by the blaring sounds of the region’s famed trios elétricos (think: traveling live-music trucks)—and very potent caipirinhas. You can dance on the streets with the crowd for free and wear whatever you want; if you prefer to watch the main performances from the sidelines, you can do so from a camarote (VIP cabin) located along the parade avenues. Lastly, if you’d like to be part of the party and dance in the Carnival itself, isolated from the crowd and in the middle of the parade, you have to buy a pass and a t-shirt from one of the blocos (different groups participating in the parade) that you are linked with.