MAMT||Museo Mediterraneo dell' Arte, della Musica e delle Tradizioni (EN)
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27 February 2023
Iniziative (EN) -
MAMT – Mediterranean Museum of Art, Music and Traditions
Objects, documents and exhibits from Uruguay's Carnival, the longest in the world, were donated from Uruguay to the Museum delegates present in Montevideo.
"Although less well known, Carnival in Uruguay is actually longer than the famous one in Brazil, and probably more fun for the same reasons and more," said Prof. Caterina Arcidiacono present in Montevideo. "Almost all Latin American countries have their own Carnival, but they are rarely considered more culturally important than in Uruguay, where neighbourhoods from all over the country come together to celebrate one of the most significant events in their collective history. Here is everything you need to know about the world's longest carnival'.
There are some similarities between Carnival and other harvest festivals around the world, and some attribute Carnival's origins to the cultural tradition of celebrating and paying homage to the rising of Saturn in ancient Greece. Others link it to a festival celebrating Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and revelry, who rang in the new year in ancient Rome. Here we have a possible origin for its name, as the priests leading the procession often pushed a boat on wheels, like a float, which they called 'carrus navalis ,' or 'car navalis' for short.
Carnival has evolved slowly over the years and has become a celebration of many beliefs and traditions of the various cultures of those who have immigrated to the country. Carnival celebrates the abolition of slavery in Uruguay and at the same time is strongly related to global harvest celebrations and social, individual and collective freedom. It is also somewhat entangled with Christian celebrations such as Christmas and Holy Week.
Almost four months before the main festivities and parades, the Uruguayan carnival is already starting to make itself felt after its silent hibernation. It starts with a week of shows and performances, some of which feature famous musicians. What makes this week-long series of performances even more unique are the satirical classics and comedy shows that parody the way of the world and all of us.
- MEDNEWS
