SECOND TERM FOURTH JOURNAL

'CARNIVAL'

Carnival can be defined as an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world. They were generally traditional, but they are recombined with modern elements now. Every carnival has its own rituals. I am really interested in such events because I think many people from various countries come together, and you can have an opportunity to meet new and different people and cultures thanks to them. I believe that the effort made by people in order to prepare those carnivals deserves to be praised, and millions of people do so by participating in them every year. ‘The Carnival of Venice’ and ‘Winter Carnival’ are my favorite ones among countless carnivals all around the world. First of all, The Carnival of Venice is held in Venice, Italy. It starts forty days before Easter and ends with Lent. It is famous for Venetian carnival masks. They have different types such as Bauta and Columbina. While some masks cover the whole face, some cover only the eyes’ of the wearer. Those masks are often highly decorated with gold, silver or feathers. The designers of them try to combine new elements with traditional ones while preparing the masks. Even if wearing a mask is not compulsory, nearly all people wear their special-designed mask, and walk on carnival streets. Secondly, Winter Carnival is organized in Quebec, Canada, between 29^th of January and 15^th of February. It is the most famous winter carnival of the world. The symbol of the carnival is ‘Bonhomme’. The name of this mascot means ‘good man’. It is a snowman which has a red cap, black buttons and ceinture fléchée, a type of colorful sash which is a traditional piece of French-Canadian clothing of the 19^th century. Sleigh races and ice canoe races are held. ‘Ice Palace’ is constructed. It is a complete ice palace which even has its own dungeon. The workers start to work for it months before the carnival. Moreover, there is a competition among the artists to build the most beautiful snow sculpture, and this causes many successful pieces of art to appear. Traditionally, people drink ‘Caribou’, a hot alcoholic beverage to keep themselves warm. I think the most interesting things about this carnival are the weather condition and the people’s attitudes towards it. Even though the weather is cold, people find ‘Winter Carnival’ very enjoyable, and they participate in all ice and snow events willingly. Briefly, carnivals are the combination of new trends and conventional rituals. I believe that they give us a chance to have information about different cultures and people. Although there are innumerable carnivals, my favorites are ‘The Carnival of Venice’ and ‘Winter Carnival’ because the former has impressive masks and the latter makes the ones who hate winter love it. If you have a chance to take part in any one of them, do not lose time :)

ü      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Venice

ü      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Winter_Carnival