Come With Me To The Carnival Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rio Carnival

Rio Carnival is held in Rio de Janeiro (which means River of January in Portuguese) and is a seven day festival held annually just before Lent in February. The first Rio festivals date back as far as 1723. Traditionally the Carnival parade includes floats and a host of samba dancers representing a number of samba schools. Street festivals are common and are popular with locals and visitors alike.

The festival usually begins on Friday and ends on Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. Then there is a Winners' Parade on the Saturday after the end of the Carnival.

Answer: Burning Man

The Burning Man festival takes place annually from August 28th to September 5th. The concept took root in 1986 in San Francisco, when a group of friends set a wooden man alight for a beach bonfire. In 1990 it was relocated to the Black Rock Desert, Nevada and now has in excess of seventy thousand attendees.

The wooden effigy, which stood a mere fifteen feet in 1986, has been built in excess of 100 feet in some years. "The Man" is always burnt and is generally the highlight of the festival. Various art installations, mutant cars, as well as electronic music camps are all a staple of the Burning Man experience.

Answer: Oktoberfest

Firstly some translations. Brezen is a pretzel. Dirndl is a Bavarian style dress. Lederhosen are leather trousers. Oompah is a deep brass instrument sound, often made by a tuba.

Oktoberfest takes place in Munich, Bavaria in Germany. It is the world's largest beer festival which runs annually for approximately eighteen days from late September to early October. Oktoberfest originated as far back as the early 1800s. The festival is not only about drinking beer, although on average seven million litres of beer are consumed. Oktoberfest offers a travelling funfair, music, as well as riflemen parades.

Answer: La Tomatina Festival

The La Tomatina Festival is held in the Valencian city of Buñol in Spain. It is held on the last Wednesday in August and the sole purpose is to throw tomatoes at each other. One popular legend is that the festival originated after an uprising by townsfolk who attacked the town leaders with tomatoes.

The food fight lasts for an hour and it was estimated that 145,000 kilograms of tomatoes were used in 2015. There is an advantage to the city as a result of the fight. After the cobbles are hosed down by the local fire brigade, the acidity of the tomatoes and subsequent watering down completely disinfects and cleans the surfaces. La Tomatina has spawned numerous "tomato war" events worldwide e.g. Colorado Texas Tomato War in Colorado. Reno has their version of "La Tomatina" and Milwaukee does an annual "Tomato Romp".

Answer: Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year starts on the new moon between 21 January and 20 February. It differs from the Western New Year, due to the use of the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Festivities continue for fifteen days and traditionally, every day serves a different aspect and has rituals attached. On New Years Eve, houses are cleaned thoroughly to make way for in coming good luck.

The colour red is prominent and firecrackers are used extensively. Different foods are eaten on specific days, with niangao being a very popular rice flour pudding.

The last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations culminates in the Lantern Festival.

Answer: Diwali

Although it is predominantly a Hindu festival, Diwali is also celebrated in Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. In each religion, Diwali is celebrated for a different reason and different gods are honoured, but one thing in common in most of the beliefs is that Diwali is about illuminating the darkness.

The festival lasts for five days. The darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar, is when Diwali night is held. It falls between mid-October and mid-November in the Gregorian Calendar.

Answer: New Orleans Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is referred to as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday and generally refers to celebrations before the beginning of Lent. Fat Tuesday specifically refers to the day before Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent), the last night where rich and fatty foods are consumed.

The New Orleans Mardi Gras is one of the more well known celebrations and begins approximately two weeks before Ash Wednesday. The Mardi Gras parades are a highlight of the celebrations and are organised by krewes (social clubs), who prepare floats for the parades. Traditionally the riders of the floats throw trinkets into the crowds, often consisting of strings of beads.

Answer: Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede is held annually in Calgary, Alberta, Canada every July. The event is billed as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" and lasts for ten days. It features rodeos, agricultural competitions, music concerts, parades and many more events.

The very first fair was held in 1886 by the newly formed Calgary and District Agricultural Society. Due to economic difficulties the society ceased in 1895. A newly formed society,the Western Pacific Exhibition Company began anew in 1899 with its first agricultural and industrial fair.

The first "Stampede" was held in 1912 and has systematically culminated into what we have today, which attracts in excess of one million attendees annually.

Answer: Día de Muertos

Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead, is an annual Mexican holiday starting on October 31 and ending on November 2. The origins of this day have been traced back to an Aztec festival honouring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Queen of the underworld ruling over the afterlife. La Calavera Catrina, a dressed up female skeleton, has become the modern day icon for the Day of the Dead. On this day, families clean and tend to the graves of loved ones who have passed on. Ofrendas (altars), special food like pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and sugar skulls (calaveras) are made, all in remembrance of the dead.

Answer: National Cherry Blossom Festival

Hanami means "Flower viewing" in Japanese. Traditionally, the custom of viewing the cherry tree blossoms is enjoyed in Japan from March to May. In modern day Japan, parties are often held under the cherry trees. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is held annually in Washington, D.C. in Spring to commemorate a gift of cherry trees in 1912 from the Tokyo City mayor Yukio Ozaki.

It is a three week festival beginning on the last Saturday in March. Many cultural activities and events take place daily, including a daily sushi/sake celebration. Visitors can attend cherry blossom classes, watch kimono fashion shows and even enjoy a rugby union tournament. On the festival's last saturday, a parade takes place along Constitution Avenue.