Did you think you have to go to Rio de Janeiro or Venice to celebrate the Carnival? This year, forget these obvious destinations and join the Carnival celebrations in Paris! On Sunday, February 14th at 2.30pm, the Carnival de Paris procession will start from Place Gambetta, reach Belleville at 4pm and Place de la République at 5.15pm before winding up on the square in front of the Hôtel de Ville at 7pm. If you want to get into the festive mood the night before, at Cabaret Sauvage, Brazilian artists will bring to you the samba, pagode and batucada beats straight from Rio de Janeiro. Celebrating carnival in Paris is a tradition that dates back to the 16th century, when the medieval tradition of the annual Feast of Fools was condemned by the Catholic Church and gradually replaced with Promenade du Bœuf Gras, the Fat Cow Parade. In the 19th century the Carnival parade reassembled as many as 400 thousand people, but in the 20th century it declined in popularity. In 1954, due to logistic problems, the tradition disappeared altogether from the streets of Paris until 1997 when local associations brought it back to life.

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