Let’s celebrate Shrove Tuesday the 12th February 2013!
Should you not be able to make other famous carnivals around the world, there is more than one French city that has Shrove Tuesday festivities. Therefore, Rio, Venice, Quebec and New Orleans all had better watch out.
Fill up with ideas on how to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove Tuesday is a Christian tradition, which today many know because they have children. However, traditionally, during forty days from Ash Wednesday until Easter, it is Lent, a time to give up life’s little pleasures. Before these fasting long weeks begin, originally we feasted around a very hearty meal: Shrove Tuesday.
Conversely, carnival it is not a religious tradition. Some date before the medieval times, whereas others the 18th century. In France and in the world, different carnivals have their roots in the city or region history, the reason for the carnivals variety.
France has one of the most famous carnivals in the world “The Nice Carnival”. In addition, throughout the country, numerous splendid carnivals with float parades, with lots of costumed revellers singing and dancing under confetti’s rains.
Dunkirk Carnival is also very famous, with people travelling from everywhere. It starts on the weekend of 19th and 20th January 2013. Despite the atmosphere, it is particularly structured and officially, it lasts until March, closed by the spring ball.
You can find others fabulous carnivals in Lille, Bailleul and Cassel. As for other regions, they celebrate Shrove Tuesday with their own carnivals where the events orchestration is however impeccable.
Among the best French carnivals, there are Menton, officially called the Lemon Festival, Nantes carnival, Annecy carnival or Limoux carnival in Aude.
Recently, we have reinvented an old French tradition: “la promenade du boeuf gras” (the Fat Ox walk). The Fat Ox is an important festive sculpture that parades solemnly in music. The most famous walk of the Fat Ox is that Paris carnival but it is also finding in other cities.
Other carnivals that have a good reputation: Albi, Granville, Bordeaux, Chalon-sur-Saône, Cholet or Mulhouse.
In some French cities, the carnival is not celebrated for Shrove Tuesday but in spring, is the case for the very festive Montbéliard carnival.