Limassol Carnival Festival

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Limassol Carnival Festival
Carnival in Limassol 2014 (12888019003).jpg
Grand Carnival Parade of Limassol
Official name Limassol Carnival
Also called Karnavali Lemesou
Observed by Europeans & non-Europeans
Significance Social, Religious, Economic
Celebrations Costume Parties & Parades
Date Sunday before Ash Monday

The Limassol Carnival Festival is an annual European carnival event held at Limassol, Cyprus. It is considered one of the most notable carnival events worldwide.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The event is held 12 days before the Christian season of Lent on the Sunday before Ash Monday, 50 days before Orthodox Easter.[10][11] The festival is a 10 day colourful event of people feasting, singing songs, satire, games, carnival processions and balls.[12][13][14]

History

A typical Greco-Roman thematic

Limassol Carnival Festival, which is said to be an old custom traced to pagan rituals,[15] is now held as an entertaining event.[16] The local belief is that it is a Hellenistic heritage that goes back to pre-Christian times and to an ancient Greek festival honoring Dionysus, the deity of wine and fun. However, the first written reference оf the carnival is by Nеоphitos Egklistos, who accuses Cypriots of idolatry and accepting an alien tradition of celebrating the start of the Great Fast. The second historical mention is from Christophor Furkher Nirenberg, whо visited Cyprus in 1566 during a journey to the Holy Land. Nirenmberg was impressed by the carnival parades and told a story about how local noblemen organize amazing feasts, where people dance, sing and have fun.[17] As practiced now in Limassol is a legacy from the Venetians who ruled over Cyprus during the 15th–16th centuries.[16][18][19] The Carnival of Venice, however, takes itself very seriously, in comparison. In contrast, both adults and children can join the Limassol Carnival and as a rule everyone pours foam on each other in the Old City. The celebrations are held in most towns around the island, but the event held in Limassol is by far the largest and most popular.[11][19]

Social Importance

File:Limassol Grand Parade with young participants.jpg
Limassol The Grand Parade with young participants

As an institution and traditional festival, the Carnival has been celebrated consistently in Limassol and all over Cyprus over the last one hundred years, and regardless of political or economic conditions it represents a ritual which on the eve of spring affords the opportunity for people to express their faith and optimism for a good year.[20] The municipality conducts a minimum of five masked balls which include an open-air ball on Heroon Square in the heart of city center, and in huge ball rooms of major hotels. A children’s parade is rightly considered to be one of the key events of the carnival. It is held on the first Sunday of the festive events. Children customarily dress up in carnival costumes and travel the streets of Limassol.

On the Grand Carnival parade the floats theme and the singing are commonly satirical. The Carnival King or Queen could be presented as a satirical figure representing social, political and economic conditions of relevance to Cyprus or Europe in general. On the final day which is the Grand Carnival more than 150 floats and an estimated 50.000 people take part in the procession. The city's brass band and groups of drummers and mandolin-toting kantadoroi (serenaders) accompany the Carnival King (or Queen). During 2014 the satirical theme was the Carnival King depicted with Euro signs indicative of the economic crisis in Europe. On an earlier occasion the Carnival Queen was presented as Angela Merkel as they had then considered her responsible for the economic crisis in Cyprus.[16]

Themes & Timeline

File:Limassol Parade Street Mascots.jpg
Limassol Parade mascots with painted faces
  • The first week of the festival begins on a Thursday with entry of the King Carnival (as a satirical display it could be a Queen also[16]) in a procession through the town which is decorated for the occasion followed by a grand fancy dress competition of children that is held at the Tsirion Athletic Stadium. The first week also marks the Meat Week (Kreatini), which is the last week for eating meat before Easter. The day the festival starts is also known as "Tsiknopempti" (meaning "Stinky Thursday"[16]), a name attributed to the cooking aromas of meat pervading the streets.[18][19][21]
  • In the second week of the festival, which is called the cheese week (Tyrini), dairy products are consumed. At the end of the week on a Sunday the celebration involves the Grand Carnival parade which is taken through the Makariou III Avenue of Limassol. People from all parts of the island gather to watch the "floats with the serenade and other masqueraded groups."[18][19]
  • Throughout the festival period most hotels and clubs in the city hold fancy dress balls and parties.[18] Clowns, cowboys, pirates, dragons, ancient Greeks and medieval knights are popular themes, but pop stars along with characters from the year's hit movies and musicals are also a common sight.[22]

Location

The Limassol Municipality organizes the final Carnival Grand Parade all the way through the Makarios Avenue (approximately 7 kilometers), Limassol's high street.[23][24]

2016 Rules

File:Limassol Parade on Makariou from rooftop.JPG
Limassol Parade on Makariou avenue from rooftop

After some groups broke the ground rules in 2015, the Limassol municipality does not allow offending groups or floats from starting from the Enaerios junction and may intercept them at a later stage with the help of police and security guards.[25] The new rules are as follows:

  • The number of participants in each group should not exceed 500 people
  • Large amount of alcohol is not allowed on the floats
  • No DJ is allowed on board the vehicles
  • Broadcasting music is forbidden
  • Loudspeakers must be tuned into the radio frequency broadcasting music for the parade

Random Street Images

  • Grand Carnival Parade 2016.JPG
  • Limassol Grand Carnival Parade.JPG
  • Limassol Grand Carnival Parade random crowd dancing.JPG
  • Limassol Carnival Parade Group.JPG

See also

References

  1. ↑ Xinhua: Carnival parade held in Limassol
  2. ↑ Prestige Bookings: Limassol Carnival Parade
  3. ↑ World Festival Directory: Limassol Carnival Parade
  4. ↑ Euromic: Let the Carnival Begin
  5. ↑ Financial Times: Photo of the Day
  6. ↑ Yahoo: In Cyprus, the best Carnival outside of Rio
  7. ↑ NBC News: Carnival around the world
  8. ↑ Seattle Times: Photos of the Day: Limassol Carnival
  9. ↑ CNN:Coolest Carnival Out of Rio?
  10. ↑ Merin & Burdick 1979, p. 82.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Antoniadou 1992, p. 47.
  12. ↑ My Destination: Limassol Carnival
  13. ↑ Carnaval: Cyprus Festivals
  14. ↑ 5 Reasons Why Limassol Carnival Is King!
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Limassol Carnival: The History of the Festival From Ancient Times to the Present
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Inc 2012, p. 101.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Limassol Municipality: Carnival
  21. ↑ Limassol carnival set to be 'biggest ever'
  22. ↑ CNN: Limassol, Cyprus: Coolest Carnival outside of Rio?
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Go fashion shopping on Limassol’s Makarios Avenue
  25. ↑ Limassol carnival to get stricter on floats and groups

Bibliography

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