“No hay que llorar, que la vida es un carnaval, es más bello vivir cantando. No hay que llorar, que la vida es un carnaval y las penas se van cantando.” Song by Celia Cruz
“There’s no reason to cry, life is a carnival, and it’s more beautiful to live while singing. There’s no reason to cry, life is a carnival, and worries leave with singing.”
“There’s no reason to cry, life is a carnival, and it’s more beautiful to live while singing. There’s no reason to cry, life is a carnival, and worries leave with singing.”
I’m sure many have heard of the infamous “Carnaval” in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. According to our good friend Wikipedia, “The Brazilian Carnival is one of the best-known celebrations today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular, and days-long events. The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro is the biggest Carnival in the world, and the biggest popular party on the planet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2010. The Rio de Janeiro Carnival is also considered the world's most famous.” However, Carnaval celebrations are international.
Every year, Carnival celebrations happen all over the world in places like South America, Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean. The festivities typically include lively parades, rich foods, and different forms of entertainment ranging from circus stunts to musical performances.
Many different theories surround the origins of Carnival. One suggests that it is derived from the Latin words caro meaning meat and vale meaning farewell, possibly describing the necessity of using all perishables before the 40 days of fasting during Lent. Some also believe that the celebrations were a way to scare away evil spirits, thereby saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life. Carnival is a festival traditionally held in Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox societies. Protestant areas usually do not have Carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, such as the Danish Carnival or other Shrove Tuesday events
My Carnaval experience began Saturday, February 18th, with the evening parade accompanied by some local and exchange friends. Parades are pretty much the same everywhere, right? Not exactly. In Mexico, the Carnaval parades are more interactive than the typical sit-and-applaud parades we are used to in the US. Spectators would just join the parade whenever they felt like it, dancing along to the Salsa, jumping around, taking pictures. The floats were enormous and numerous, filled with dance routines, the Queen of Carnaval, and local businesses advertising their wares. The best way to explain Carnaval is to have you all picture a big, crazy party with the whole town, and tons of people who came just for the party. There are people in their nineties, little kids, and everyone in between. It’s loud and obnoxious, the traffic is unbearable, but it is filled with so much excitement and energy. Although I was warned by locals for months to stay far away from Carnaval, and told over and over again how horrible it was, full of drunks and mayhem, I couldn’t come to Veracruz and miss out on Carnaval. Veracruz’s Carnaval is called “The happiest in the world” and I would have to agree on that. As far as the “mayhem and drunkenness”, it was pretty controlled due to our awesome naval police. In Veracruz, we no longer have regular city police due to Operation Veracruz Seguro – we have state police, and the naval police. The naval police are really respected, and if people don’t behave, they kindly escort them out of the parade for the rest of the day. Saturday night after the parade, we decided to go out with the exchange students to La Casona, a club in Veracruz. I had never been before, but everyone said it was the busiest they had ever seen. So many people come from out of town during Carnaval that every single place on the boulevard was completely full. This NEVER happens- it was crazy! One group even made their own party outside an Oxxo- a convenience store.
Sunday morning I went to Carnaval again, this time with my host parents and another exchange student. The previous night we were in the middle of the bleachers, but on Sunday we were at the bottom, prime location to join the party! Instead of sitting back and watching the dancing groups and floats pass by, we became part of the parade! Dancing in the street along with the floats and taking pictures with everyone. It was so much fun. We had a little picnic while we watched, and just had a good time.
Throughout the festivities, there were free concerts every night. On Wednesday night, I went to see Enrique Iglesias! We just showed up, planning to be standing along with everyone else, literally a sea of people. However, my host mom managed to get the two of us into the bleachers (supposedly a bracelet only zone...) so she and I were quite comfortable the whole time. It was a really cool experience, the crowd singing in Spanish and English, so much energy! We found several Brazilian exchange students, one of which is from my clubJ, and we went to Burger King with them before taking them home. The whole night was a blast! It marked the official closure of Carnaval of 2012. We’re now stuck with the leftovers of Carnaval- the tourists who still haven’t quite found their way back home, the bleachers blocking a lane of traffic on the boulevard, and a whole city completely worn out from the nonstop party. Many are glad to see Carnaval stowed away once again, but there are just as many who are counting the days down till the next year. As much as I enjoyed the festivities, I’m also pretty happy to have my city back. Until next time!
Throughout the festivities, there were free concerts every night. On Wednesday night, I went to see Enrique Iglesias! We just showed up, planning to be standing along with everyone else, literally a sea of people. However, my host mom managed to get the two of us into the bleachers (supposedly a bracelet only zone...) so she and I were quite comfortable the whole time. It was a really cool experience, the crowd singing in Spanish and English, so much energy! We found several Brazilian exchange students, one of which is from my clubJ, and we went to Burger King with them before taking them home. The whole night was a blast! It marked the official closure of Carnaval of 2012. We’re now stuck with the leftovers of Carnaval- the tourists who still haven’t quite found their way back home, the bleachers blocking a lane of traffic on the boulevard, and a whole city completely worn out from the nonstop party. Many are glad to see Carnaval stowed away once again, but there are just as many who are counting the days down till the next year. As much as I enjoyed the festivities, I’m also pretty happy to have my city back. Until next time!
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