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Origins of Carnival

n Pagan Roots T here are many theories about the origins of Carnival. The people of Europe celebrated festivals similar to today’s Carnival long before the spread of Christianity. Many of these festivals were deeply rooted in pagan tradition. (In this context “pagan” refers to people who do not believe in one god but many gods who are closely connected to nature and the natural world.) Celebrating Dionysus and Bacchus The ancient Greeks honored Dionysus, the god of wine, pleasure, fertility, and drama, with a raucous festival called The Great Dionysias. The Great Dionysias was celebrated each year in the spring (March or April) in the city of Athens. The festival consisted of five or six days of food, drink, music, and theatrical events. Many Greek comedies and

words to understand

Abstinence : Denying oneself a pleasure, often for religious reasons. Rambunctious : Disorderly, unruly, wild. Somber : Serious, reserved, grave.

t  Statues of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and pleasure, are common to see in places like Florence, Italy.

origins of carnival n

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