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Although Carnival has almost universal appeal wherever the Roman Catholic Church has a substantial presence, the level and extent of celebration varies enormously, ranging from hugely popular, highly developed, commercially supported, tourist-inspired events down to small celebrations within a locality which may only involve a few small villages or a small town.
Some of these events are Carnival in its traditional sense, but many have elements of local folklore integrated. The event in Sydney is a Gay & Lesbian Carnival. Some are promoted as Mardi Gras, although not necessarily limiting themselves to the day before Ash Wednesday. Most start two weeks before Ash Wednesday.
Probably the most famous Carnival celebrations take place in Brazil.
The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro was established in the 1830’s when traditional French-style balls and masquerade parties were introduced. With the passage of time African and American-Indian influences had a substantial impact on the celebrations.
Rio Carnival each year elects a "Fat Man" to act as Rei Momo or "king" of the Carnival for its duration.
To improve the quality of the dancing, there are famous samba schools who perform in the Sambadrome, which is itself one of the world’s major tourist attractions. The samba schools are highly professional and competitive and operate throughout the year preparing people for the celebrations.
One of the features of Rio’s Carnival is the Blocos – groups of people from a particular neighbourhood with their own band, percussion group, entertainers, dancers and lots of supporters who enhance the presentation. Each Blocos usually has costumes to a particular theme, or they celebrate Carnival in an individual or special manner.
Blocos who have attended samba schools often give local demonstrations throughout Carnival.
In Bahia, Carnival is different from that in Rio de Janeiro, being a regional event (Rio is seen as International). Bahia has a much more diverse range of music, plus subtle variations on themes such as the samba, of which there are numerous styles and interpretations.
Bahia’s Carnival roots were established in the 1880’s by a black population, and the event has very strong African-Yoruba influences. In the early days, the dancing in the street and the presentation was seen as primitive by the (pre-dominantly white) elite, but despite being banned, the celebrations continued.
Today, four main types of Carnival celebrations have developed in Bahia:
"Indian" groups were inspired by the US orientated Western Movies;
"Trios Electricos" are typified by an adapted lorry with giant loudspeakers, with musicians performing songs with local connections and styles. Their supporters follow the vehicle singing and dancing;
"Afoxes" play music which typifies the religion called Candomble;
"Blocos Afro" play music which is mean to inspire pride in their African Heritage, usually influenced by the independent movements in Africa and the US Black Pride movement.
In Pernambuco which is located in North East Brazil there are quite unique Carnival celebrations. The most famous one is in Recife (the regional capital) but the celebrations in Olinda are equally impressive. Both are typified by "Frevo," a locally inspired form of music.
The Carnivals in Rio and Bahia both encourage competitions between parading groups and performers. That is not evident in Permanbuco. Groups dance and play side by side and improvise and co-operate with others
In the mid-1950s the shops in Regent Street, London, decided to entice more customers to the area (and into the shops) by having a lavish display of Christmas lights. They were motivated by an article in the Daily Telegraph in late 1954 which stated that London was "drab" despite it being Christmas time.
The first Christmas Lights were little more than lanterns on the fronts of the buildings, but with the passage of time (aided by technology) the lights have become more and more extensive, elaborate and sophisticated.
Despite the success of the lights in attracting people to the area, in 1971,
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Following the end of World War II, the people of Norway wished to signify their friendship with Britain and their thanks for protecting King Haakon VII in exile. So, since 1946, they have donated one of their finest specimens of Norwegian Spruce to Britain to become the centrepiece of the Christmas celebrations in Trafalgar Square, London.
Usually on the first Thursday in December, the Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster and the Mayor of Oslo attend a "lighting up" ceremony of 500 or so pure white lights, the traditional way of illuminating a tree in Norway. The lights are
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The West Country Carnival has its origin in a bonfire at the Cornhill in Bridgwater. This was built from a large wooden boat, filled with about 100 tar barrels and whatever other flammable rubbish was available. It is said that this tradition ceased because of a lack of suitable old boats - and the revellers' determination to maintain the custom by turning to good boats as a source of fuel!
There is still a bonfire at the Cornhill each year - but using more sustainable fuel sources. Effigies of the conspirators were traditionally paraded through the streets before being cast onto
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If you’re planning on taking a trip to Mexico, there are literally thousands of things you can do there. One of the most interesting and fulfilling, however, is to go check out some of the numerous cultural sites that are open to the public.
One interesting and lesser known cultural site to check out is the caves in Baja that contain ancient cave paintings from indigenous peoples in the area. They’re a couple of hours drive from the U.S., so you can go there even if you aren’t planning a full-fledged trip. It’s a nice weekend trip for people from
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As one of Europe's leading cultural cities Berlin offers many museums, historic sites and other places for a memorable visit. Many landmarks remind us of the long history of Berlin, the remains of the destruction during World War II and its history when it was divided between East and West.
Even though Berlin is a large metropolis, orientating yourself in Berlin isn't hard at all. There are three prominent landmarks: the Church of Remembrance (the Gedächtniskirche), located in the West on the Kurfürstendamm, the Brandenburger Tor in the city district of Mitte, and the Fernsehturm (TV-tower) at Alexanderplatz in the
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