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A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining
some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the
Carnival Season. The Carnival Season is a holiday period during the two
weeks before the traditional Christian fast of Lent. The origin of the
name "Carnival" is unclear as there are two theories. The most commonly
known theory states that the name comes from the Italian carne- or
carnovale, from Latin carnem (meat) + levare (lighten or raise),
literally "to remove the meat" or "stop eating meat". The other theory
states that it originates from the Latin carrus navalis, which was some
kind of Greek cart carrying a statue of a god in a religious procession
at the annual festivities in honour of the god Apollo. Most commonly the
season began on Septuagesima Sunday, the third from the last Sunday
before Ash Wednesday, but in some places it started as early as Twelfth
Night, continuing until Lent.
This period of celebration and partying had its origin
in the need to use up all remaining meat and animal products such as
eggs and butter before the fasting season. The celebration of Carnival
ends on "Mardi Gras" (French for "Fat Tuesday", meaning Shrove Tuesday),
the day before Ash Wednesday, when the rigours of Lent's 40 days of
fasting and sacrifice begin. It sometimes lasts until Piñata Weekend,
the first Saturday and Sunday of Lent.
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