Are You Not Entertained? These European Carnivals Have You Covered

Comments  (0)

Feb 8, 2013 —  Have you ever been asked what you’d do if you found out that you only had one week left to live? Yeah, we figured you had – it’s not exactly the most original question.

How about this: What if you found out that you only had one week before you were banned from drinking and eating your favorite alcohol and junk food?

Tough question. But, if you answered that you’d binge and have a huge party complete with dancing, parading, drinking, and stuffing your face, you’d find rousing support over in Europe.

February is a month filled with drunken and gluttonous festivals throughout Europe that date back to the early days of Christianity, when followers of the faith were encouraged to get rid of meat, dairy, fats, sugar and other rich foods before Lent (a forty-day fasting period leading up to Easter).

These days, Lenten guidelines aren’t as strict, but vestiges of the original European festivals remain; the Madrid Carnival, Carnival of Venice, and Carnevale di Roma all feature parades, music, various competitions (costume contests and horse-riding included), and, of course, lots of fantastic food and drink.

The world might not be ending and you might be able to eat and drink your favorite foods again in forty days (or tomorrow if you’re not religious), but it’s always fun to party as if it’s your last hoorah.