The Nice Carnival is one of the oldest carnivals in the world! It attracts each year around February/March nearly 1.2 million tourists coming from all parts of the world. One can read in the chronicles of 1292 that Charles II, Count of Provence, loved to be part of this grandiose party.
Today the carnival of Nice is still as popular . Every year you can discover satires of Nice’s as well as national and international life in a universe both satirical and wonderful.
Traditionally, Nice Carnival begins with the arrival of the Carnival King in his Corso Carnavalesque (Carnival Procession) in the Place Massena (Nice’s main square).
This year, the theme was the one of Gastronomy.
20 decorated floats with giant puppets (called big heads), paraded with hundreds of musicians , street artists and dancers coming from all around the world. The King takes the keys of the city and declares open the 15 days of festivities
But who creat and manufacture these floats and costumes ?
They are “les carnavaliers”. They are the ones manufacturing the floats, and they form a big family , the transmission of this knowledge is done from generation to generation. The makings of these floats and costumes start as early as mid-November .
The Nice Carnival, is not only parades of floats and giant puppets, it is also the battles of flowers on the famous “Englishmen walk”.
Alphonse Karr, writer and botanist in the years 1870, had this original idea. This concept has even been picked up by the organizers of the famous Rio carnival! Amazing is not it?
During these battles, thousands of flowers decorate the floats and are sent to the public for its biggest joy.
On the last night, the day of “ Mardi Gras “, the Carnival King marchs alone, one last time, and is burnt near the sea. Then, a gigantic firework ends this big tradition.
The king is dead
Long live the king!
After Gastronomy, what will be the new theme for 2015?
Bets are in.