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Carnival celebrations around the world, from Rio to Warsaw

Carnival in Rio

The Rose Parade it’s not!

It’s Carnival (spelled Carnaval in Portuguese), the tricked-out, peak-of-summer event (remember it’s summer in South America) that marks the beginning of Lent.

Above, vibrant colors, ribald pageantry (and strategically placed feathers) propel a Samba School Parade float through the Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. Check out all the glam in photos of Rio and New Orleans.

And then there’s Carnival in … Poland?

$Bill Haley Rock \'n\' Roll Marathon in Warsaw Poland$

A couple dances Monday at the Bill Haley Rock’n’ Roll Marathon in Warsaw. The annul event, during which competitors must dance nonstop for one hour, takes place on the last Monday of Carnival.

$A reveler wearing a witch costume is seen on this zoomed picture during the traditional \$

And in Germany (here it’s less glam, more spooky).

A reveler wears a witch costume in this zoomed picture during the traditional “witches food” celebration in Offenburg, southwestern Germany, on Tuesday. Carnival ends in this town with the burning of a straw puppet.

– Mary Forgione

[Photo credits: Ricardo Moraes / Associated Press (top); Alik Keplicz / Associated Press (middle) ; Thomas Kienzle / Associated Press (bottom) ]

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:27 pm by Mary Forgione and is filed under Europe, Festival, Germany, Latin America & Caribbean. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.