Integral parts of the Christian calendar, carnivals are typically marked by public celebrations or parades blending elements of the street party, circus, and masquerade ball.
Although the origin of the name Carnival is disputed, variants in Italian dialects suggest the name comes from the Italian carne levare, which means to remove meat, since meat is prohibited during the season of Lent, which usually follows the carnival celebrations.
From Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cádiz in Spain to Barranquilla and Pasto in Colombia, carnivals are celebrated in a number of regions in the world. Some of the best-known celebrations are seen in parts of Brazil, Italy, Venezuela, and Uruguay.
Start the slideshow to see our list of the 10 most popular carnivals of the world.
RELATED STORIES
Held annually about 2 weeks prior to the observation of Lent or Ash Wednesday, the Venetian Carnival is a major aspect of the history and culture of Venice visited by thousands of people every year.
An important feature of the Carnival celebrations is masks which are typically worn to hide the wearer’s identity and status. It is a popular belief that the mask enables the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention.
In the picture: A masked reveller is reflected in a mirror in Saint Mark's Square during the Venetian Carnival in Venice February 27, 2011.
Reuters.In the picture: A masked reveller poses in Saint Mark's Square during the Venetian Carnival in Venice February 27, 2011.Reuters.Also known as the Women’s Carnival, Weiberfastnacht is a popular German festival marked by street carnival and masquerade parties.
In the picture: Women dressed for "Weiberfastnacht" (Women's Carnival) celebrate in front of Cologne's cathedral March 3, 2011. Women's Carnival marks the start of a week of street festivals that reach a high point with mass processions on Rose Monday.
Reuters.The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is regarded as one of the most spectacular events of its kind in the world attracting millions of people every year. The festival has received such international acclaim that in 1980, the Secretariat of State for the Tourism declared it as a Festival Tourist International Interest.
The celebrations are grouped under two sections: the Official Carnival and the Carnival in the Street where thousands of people take part in disguise.
In the picture: Contestant Fabiana Milena Vera Martinez, wearing a creation called "Cabarete", performs on stage during the annual carnival queen election gala in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife, March 2, 2011.
Reuters.In the picture: Contestant Naomi Cordobez Hernandez, wearing a creation called "Canaima", performs on stage during the annual carnival queen election gala in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife, March 2, 2011.
Reuters.The longest Carnival in the world, the festivities in Uruguay lasts for a total of 80 days in European parade style with reflections from the Bantu and Angolan Benguela cultural celebrations.
Two colorful parades namely, Desfile de Carnaval and Desfile de Llamadas mark the festivities and popular theaters called tablados are built in many places throughout the cities. Different Carnival groups, dressed in their own theme, perform a kind of popular opera at the tablados, singing and dancing songs that generally relate to social reality and political situation in the country.
In the picture: Members of a comparsa, an Uruguayan carnival group, play the drums during a Llamadas parade in Montevideo February 3, 2011. The Llamadas, which is Spanish for "call", originated during the colonial times when slaves played drums to keep in touch with relatives and friends.
Reuters.In the picture: A member of a comparsa, an Uruguayan carnival band, performs with flags during the second night of the Llamadas parade in Montevideo February 4, 2011. The Llamadas, which is Spanish for "call", originated during the colonial times when slaves played drums to keep in touch with relatives and friends.
Reuters.A unique feature of the Carnival celebrations in Gran Canaria is that the festivities are observed right on the beach.
In the picture: Laura Ojeda, wearing a creation called "I'm Gran Canaria", reacts after being elected Carnival Queen in Las Palmas, Spanish Canary Island of Gran Canaria, February 25, 2011.
Reuters.Known as the Carnival capital of Paraguay, Encarnación attracts thousands of people every year during the festive season.
In the picture: A reveller from the Florencia ballet of Brahma participates in the annual Carnaval Encarnaceno in the city of Encarnacion February 12, 2011.
Reuters.In the picture: Carnival revellers wearing fancy dress costumes pose in front of the cathedral at the start of the carnival in Cologne November 11, 2010. In many parts of Germany, at 11:11am on November 11 people mark the official start of Carnival, a season of controlled raucous fun that reaches a climax during the days before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.
Reuters.In the picture: Masked revellers parade the streets during a Carnival in the village of Vevcani, some 170 km (106 miles) from the Macedonian capital Skopje, January 13, 2011. Vevcani village marks the Orthodox St. Vasilij Day annually with a Carnival that features a 1,400-year-old celebration with pagan roots. The highlights of the carnival include a political satire where masked villagers act out current events.
Reuters.Comparable in grandeur to the Brazilian Carnival and Venetian Carnival, the Nice Carnival is held annually in February in Nice, France. The festivities span for a period of two weeks with the final day on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).
In the picture: Characters representing French actors Louis De Funes and Brigitte Bardot are paraded during the Nice Carnival in Nice, southeastern France February 19, 2011.
Reuters.In the picture: Indian folk dancers perform during the 27th Cochin Carnival at Fort Kochi, in the southern Indian city of Kochi January 1, 2011. The Carnival is held annually to welcome the start of a New Year.
Reuters.
