Jan 17, 2010 by Romina McGuinness, Metro World News

Choose between samba dancing, glittery corsets or Caribbean cuisine. Whether you’re in Europe, US, UK or Latin America, festivities abound. Whichever you choose to attend, you’ll get carried away by the beat, food and songs

“Shake off the winter blues and slip on your dancing shoes. As carnivals come around, so does our need to sing, eat and party.”

The great thing about carnivals is that they give you a time when you can really let your hair down. Best of all, you can indulge in some of life’s greatest pleasures without feeling guilty or foolish about doing so. Whether you fancy being pelted with oranges, want to shimmy your way through the streets of Rio or get stuck into an hour-long tomato fight, it’s time to get the party started.

'The cheeky one' Binche Carnival, Belgium

For this festival, the town’s men dress up as ‘Gilles’, wearing green masks and extravagant headgear made from ostrich feathers, and holding on to sticks to ward off evil spirits to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. After slow-dancing through the streets, the ‘Gilles’ pelt the watching crowd with oranges, a symbolic token of the arrival of spring. Just try to dodge the oranges as they come flying in your direction.

Dates: 5 - 8 March

carnavaldebinche.be

'The traditional one' New Orleans Mardi Gras, USA

Clinging on to the rich French heritage, the town gets into a frenzy from January onward, with parades, masquerade balls and King Cake parties right up till the actual day of the carnival. On the day, carnival Krewes (parade floats) and colourful beads into the crowd. A sense of mischief lingers in the air throughout the season as locals brace themselves for the more restrained 40 days of Lent.

Dates: 5 - 8 March

mardigrasneworleans.com

'The caribbean one' Notting Hill Carnival, England

Once a year, the prim streets of Notting Hill host Europe’s biggest street festival. Spread out over two days, Sunday is for children and is much more tranquil than Monday, when the celebration really kicks in. Women clad in glittery corsets sway their hips to the beat of the traditional steel drum bands as passers-by tuck into traditional Caribbean delights such as fried plantain and jerk chicken washed down with cool rum punch.

Dates: 28 - 29 August

nottinghill-carnival.co.uk

'The messy one' La Tomatina, Spain

Ever heard of Buñol? This dusty, otherwise unpretentious industrial town gets painted red once a year thanks to ‘La Tomatina’ tradition. Thousands gather around the town’s main square as a greasy pole with a ham attached to the end is hoisted into the air. As the crowd struggles to pull it down, a rocket swooshes skywards and trucks release 100 tonnes of ripe tomatoes onto the crowd. A friendly tomato fight goes on for one hour until a second rocket is fired, signalling a truce.

Dates: 31 August 2011

latomatina.org

'The ‘one and only’' Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil

The most extravagant carnival in the world is a four-day extravaganza, where ‘cariocas’ get the city dancing to samba, and ‘bandas’, street parties guided by drummers and singers, rule the days. The crowned King and Queen of the Carnival preside over key events, while locals join the street party in their finest. The climax is the finale at the ‘Sambodromo’, the end of one of the longest and most outrageous parades in the world.

Dates: 5 - 8 March

embratur.gov.br