THIS FRENCH RIVIERA FESTIVAL MAY ACTUALLY BE
THE OLDEST CARNIVAL IN HISTORIC RECORDS —
GOING BACK OVER 700 YEARS.
TRADITIONS OF THE
CARNIVAL OF NICE
T
his coming year, from February 15 to
29, the Carnival of Nice will be ruled
by the Fashion King with his beauti-
ful Queen. The King will lead the proces-
sion through the city streets, with the par-
ticipation of famous fashion designers and
personalities. The organizers have not yet
revealed the secrets they keep in store for
this dizzying festival. But the spirit of the
famous designer and art director of Chanel,
Karl Lagerfeld, may well be present. A close
friend of the Monaco princely family, he
sadly passed away in 2019 leaving a bright
imprint in the world of fashion and in the
hearts of his admirers alike.
During the parade, the king presides
over more than fifty giant-headed pup-
pets (the Grosses Têtes) each contem-
plating a jubilant crowd from a height
of t welve meters and weighing up to
two tons.
Nowadays, carnival chariots parade the main
streets to the rhythm of modern music. In the
past, the procession used to be accompanied
by medieval instruments made of a calabash
gourd, a special African pumpkin.
Not far away from Masséna Square, there is
also an iconic Flower Parade which dates back
to 1876. The Parade is also called the battle of
flowers since the performers launch flowers
into the crowds. There is nothing even a little
bit warlike about it, happily!
In 2020 the Carnival of Nice is celebrating its
136th anniversary! What are the origins of this
centuries-old tradition?
A FEW WORDS ABOUT
THE CARNIVAL’S HISTORY
T
his French Riviera festival may actu-
ally be the oldest Carnival in historic
records — going back over 700 years,
and most definitely Royal — visited by a
Count and a King in its genesis. The Carnival
WINTER FESTIVALS
of Nice is first mentioned in the 13th century
when Charles of Anjou, Count of Provence
and King of Sicily, trilled about the «Joyful
days of the Carnival» during his sojourn in
the city.
The Carnival has been booming since 1830
when Charles-Felix, King of Sardinia and
Duke of Savoy, and Queen Maria Cristina of
Naples and Sicily came to Nice to celebrate
the ancient carnival. To mark the royal oc-
casion, the city held the first parade in their
honour.
Interestingly, meat was traditionally eaten
over the Carnival. The word «carnival» ac-
tually comes from the Latin «carnelevare»
which means «to take out the meat». The
medieval Church banned meat from the
table during the whole period of Lent. So
before Lent people had a ball creating Car-
nivals as it was their last opportunity until
Easter to eat meat. The celebration was also
a way to chase away the gloom of winter
while awaiting the blessing of spring.
Hello Monaco Winter 2019–2020 / 123
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