31. Carnivals in Europe

Carnival is time for fancy costumes, celebration and fun. One of the most famous carnivals in Europe is the carnival of Venice (Italy) which began in the 14th-15th century. 

 The Venetian carnival tradition is mostly famous for its elaborate costumes and masks. 

Carnival of Nice (France).  It is famous for its magnificent parades.  Platforms decorated in flowers, fairy tale characters and girls in spectacular costumes sweep through the city.

Binche carnival (Belgium). 600 identically dressed men march through the city. Each one of them wears a white hat and a wax mask with green glasses and a moustache. They carry wooden baskets full of oranges, which they throw into the crowd. As a result, the viewers are covered in orange juice from head to toe, which brings them luck.

The Patras Carnival (Greece). It has more than 160 years of history and it's one of the biggest carnival events in Europe. The carnival of Patras is not a single event but a variety of events (balls, parades, hidden treasure hunt, kids’ carnival). The Carnival ends with the Saturday evening parade of carnival groups, the extravagant Sunday parade of floats and groups, and finally the ritual burning of king carnival in the harbour of Patras. Its characteristics are spontaneity, improvisation, inspiration and volunteerism.