Carnival: The World Goes Wild!

In the village of Ivrea in the province of Turin, a massive orange battle takes place during Carnival. Why? It reenacts the uprising between the people and Napoleon's royal troops. In 1808, the Napoleonic rulers consolidated various Carnival celebrations into one. The highlight is the historic parade featuring the orange battle, the 'battaglia delle arance', where residents dressed as knights throw thousands of oranges at each other.

In Cangyuan, Carnival is a pretty messy affair. Members of the Wa ethnic group engage in a large-scale mud fight. This is an age-old tradition meant to scare off evil spirits and bring good fortune.

This Carnival tradition from Croatia is an Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO and is widely heard: From mid-January to Ash Wednesday, Kvarner on the Adriatic coast is in a state of celebration. The Zvončari (meaning: Bell Ringers) march through the streets. They have bells attached to their belts and perform ritual dances. This fertility ritual is meant to drive away winter.

Only adult men from the area are allowed to participate. The Zvončari come from eight villages, each with its own costume: Halubajski and Grobnički Zvončari wear fierce animal masks, Rukavački and Zvonejski Zvoncari are decorated with flowers, Munski and Žejanski Zvončari wear large crepe paper hats. The highlight is the international carnival parade, held this year on February 26, 2017, in Rijeka.

In the Großes Walsertal and Montafon in Vorarlberg and the Allgäu, Carnival ends with the burning of the winter witch. On Funkensonntag (the first Sunday after Carnival), according to ancient spring customs, the demons of winter are driven out, and warmth is welcomed.

In rural areas of Poland, you'll experience authentic traditions. During the Carnival in the mountains with the Gorals in southern Poland, the locals perform the Robbers' Dance, the Taniec Zbójnicki, in their festive attire. This dance recalls their wild past when Gorals were nomadic shepherds.

The Carnival of the small town of Binche (2017 from February 26 to February 28) in Belgium is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage event. The most important figures of the vibrant activities are the roughly 1,000 'Gilles'. They must never be without the accompaniment of a drummer, can never sit down in public, and must never be drunk.

You can recognize a Gille by his costume: He wears an outfit in the Belgian colors (black, red, gold), an oversized hat with ostrich feathers, a bell belt, wooden clogs, a basket with blood oranges, and a wax mask worn on 'Mardi Gras' (Carnival Tuesday). By the way, oranges are also thrown in Binche (see point 1) ...

The historic 'Carnevale di Venezia' is a spectacle known for its lavish masks, animal fights, Herculean games, and fireworks. The whole city gets involved, the alleys and boats are brightly decorated and illuminated. Originally, until 1797, Venice celebrated the victory over the city of Aquileia in 1162 each year this way.

Venetian costumes are a real eye-catcher: Carnival participants often wear half masks that cover only part of the face. Each year, the most beautiful costume is awarded. In 2017, the Carnival takes place from February 18 to February 28 and is opened with the traditional 'Flight of the Angel' ('Volo dell'Angelo').