Today kicks off Mardi Gras in the U.S., and from parade floats to orange throwing, around the world countries are in carnival season…
And with carnival comes displays of performance, the decorative arts, and traditional festivals of both comedy and tragedy—or fantastical collisions and juxtapositions of creativity:
Feb. 9, Carnevale in Venice, Italy; via the Guardian, (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)
Feb. 7th, Carnevale in Venice, Italy; via The Atlantic (Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)
Feb. 15, Ivrea, Italy, reenacting a battle during the Middle Ages; via The Atlantic (Max Rossi/Reuters)
Carnival in Lucerne, Switzerland; via NYPost
‘La Fiesta de los Diablos y Mascaritas’ (The Festival of Devils and Masks) in Luzon Spain; via The Atlantic (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Feb. 17, Performers from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil using carnival as a stage to combat racism, and exemplify racial pride and solidarity; via thestar.com (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Feb. 17, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; via DailyMail
The Rex parade during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA; via Nola.com (Ted Jackson, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)