Carnaval de Nice
Carnaval De Nice
The Carnaval de Nice is a very special time in the city’s calendar! Nice is a lovely city on the French riviera. There you can discover a more Mediterranean lifestyle, special Niçoise delicacies and stunning blue seas. And when it’s cold, you can also make an escape there for warmer climates!
It is allegedly France’s first carnival and one of the most famous in the world. Running for two weeks in February, this year’s carnaval is on the theme “Roi du cinéma”. The idea of the carnival is actually from pagan tradition and it was a last period of festivity before the austerity of Lent.
History Of The Carnaval
The Carnaval de Nice in particular was founded in 1873. Recently, the past decade has brought South American influences such as samba dancing and steel drum bands to the carnaval. But the style of the floats are rather different: There are always characters with big heads and exaggerated features. A bright colour scheme is also always in order! This year, to keep with the theme, there will be cinema-themed floats during the parade or the “Corso Carnevalesque” as it’s known.
Another unmissable aspect of the Carnaval is the “Bataille des Fleurs”. The writer Alphonse Karr wanted an event where the spectators could be showered with flowers. Thus the Bataille des Fleurs was born in 1876. Beautiful models atop flower-orned floats throw bouquets of all kinds to those watching! Each float is hand decorated the night before a Bataille and the amount of labour and flowers used is incredible. Perhaps one to avoid if you’ve got a pollen allergy though!
There are also various events and attractions going on during this time so if you’re in or around Nice, then take the time to discover this city and its traditions!
