The carnival is a tradition full of food, fun, live music, and colorful costumes. For some people in Greece, the carnival is the period that they relax and enjoy eating. For others, it is a time to celebrate life!

Below, you can learn how different countries worldwide celebrate Carnival!

Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago

The residents of Trinidad are being prepared all year to impress each other, during the carnival in the Caribbean. The events include special clothes like swimsuits, steel drums, local street food and street dancing. Those who want to participate in the parade must participate in one of the bands. The band will give you options about the costumes. If you don't want to do this, you can just join the street party for free.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Carnival of Rio. It is the biggest carnival in the world, attracting millions of participants for a week. There are many events during the week, including the unofficial parades and the official parade of the Sambadrome, for which you have to buy your tickets in advance. Most artists wear costumes but people often choose casual clothes for the Sambadrome parade, adding small accessories such as beads or masks.

Basel, Switzerland

The Carnival of Basel in Switzerland can be considered as one of the most famous celebrations of Europe. Every year, 20,000 people parade through the streets, dressed up with costumes according to the official theme of the year. Artists wear also costumes to hide who they are. Following the tradition, visitors don’t have any face paintings, fake noses or hats.

Oruro, Bolivia

Bolivia's carnival celebrates the indigenous culture and Lady of Candelaria. It lasts about 10 days, and the locals participate in the celebrations using masks, fabrics, and embroidery. The streets of Oruro are filled with folk dances with devil's costumes, known as Diablada. The majority of costumes are influenced by traditional folk dancers representing various indigenous groups. The most popular costume is El Tío (the devil). Thousands of people wear masks with horns, velvety capes, and metal-like chests. Participants use water balloons, pistols and spray foam to celebrate the good things that will come.

By Niki Georgilaki, Graphic Designer of our team