Le Carnaval de Nice – French Story & Translation

Author: GeneviĂšve

Come discover the Nice carnival and practice your French in context with this easy French English bilingual story sur “le Carnaval de Nice”.

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here.

Le Carnaval de Nice est l’un des plus anciens carnavals du Monde !
Il accueille chaque annĂ©e en fĂ©vrier/mars prĂšs de 1 200 000 touristes venus du monde entier. On peut lire dans les chroniques de 1292 que Charles II Comte de Provence a adorĂ© participer Ă  cette grande fĂȘte.

The Nice Carnival is one of the oldest carnivals in the world! It attracts each year around February/March nearly 1.2 million tourists coming from all parts of the world. One can read in the chronicles of 1292 that Charles II, Count of Provence, loved to be part of this grandiose party.

1 – Nice Carnival is Very Popular

Aujourd’hui le carnaval de Nice est toujours aussi populaire. On y dĂ©couvre chaque annĂ©e les caricatures des scĂšnes de la vie niçoise, nationale voir internationale dans un univers satirique et merveilleux Ă  la fois.

Today the carnival of Nice is still as popular . Every year you can discover satires of Nice’s as well as national and international life in a universe both satirical and wonderful.

Traditionnellement , le Carnaval de Nice commence avec l’arrivĂ©e du Roi et son Corso Carnavalesque (‘Carnival Procession’) sur la Place MassĂ©na ( la place principale de Nice ).

Traditionally, Nice Carnival begins with the arrival of the Carnival King in his Corso Carnavalesque (Carnival Procession) in the Place Massena (Nice’s main square).

Cette annĂ©e le thĂšme Ă©tait celui de la gastronomie. ‹Environ 20 chars dĂ©corĂ©s et entourĂ©s de marionnettes gĂ©antes (appelĂ©es Grosses TĂȘtes), dĂ©filent aux cĂŽtĂ©s de centaines de musiciens, d’artistes de rue et de danseurs venus des quatre coins du monde. Le roi prend les clefs de la ville et dĂ©clare ouverte la quinzaine du Carnaval.

This year, the theme was the one of Gastronomy.
20 decorated floats with giant puppets (called big heads), paraded with hundreds of musicians , street artists and dancers coming from all around the world. The King takes the keys of the city and declares open the 15 days of festivities

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2 – Who Builds the Carnival’s Floats?

Mais qui fabriquent ces chars ?

But who create and manufacture these floats and costumes ?

Ce sont les « carnavaliers Â». Ce sont eux qui crĂ©ent et fabriquent les chars. Ils forment une grande famille , leur savoir-faire se transmet de gĂ©nĂ©ration en gĂ©nĂ©ration. La rĂ©alisation de ces chars et des costumes dĂ©butent dĂšs la mi-novembre.

They are “les carnavaliers”. They are the ones manufacturing the floats, and they form a big family , the transmission of this knowledge is done from generation to generation. The makings of these floats and costumes start as early as mid-November .

3 – The Battles of Flowers

Le Carnaval de Nice, ce n’est pas seulement des dĂ©filĂ©s de chars ou des marionnettes en papier mĂąchĂ© multicolores, c’est Ă©galement des batailles de fleurs sur la fameuse Promenade des Anglais.

The Nice Carnival, is not only parades of floats and giant puppets, it is also the battles of flowers on the famous “Englishmen walk”.

Alphonse Karr , Ă©crivain -botaniste , des annĂ©es 1870, a eu cette idĂ©e originale. Ce concept a mĂȘme Ă©tĂ© repris par les organisateurs du cĂ©lĂšbre carnaval de Rio !!! Incroyable non ?

Alphonse Karr, writer and botanist in the years 1870, had this original idea. This concept has even been picked up by the organizers of the famous Rio carnival! Amazing is not it?

Pendant ces batailles, des milliers de fleurs décorent les chars et sont envoyées au public pour leur plus grand plaisir.

During these battles, thousands of flowers decorate the floats and are sent to the public for its biggest joy.

4 – Mardi Gras in France

Le dernier soir de ces festivitĂ©s, c’est Ă  dire « le jour du mardi gras Â», le Roi dĂ©file seul une derniĂšre fois puis est brĂ»lĂ© sur la plage . Pour finir , un fantastique feu d’artifices met fin Ă  cette grande tradition ,

  • Le Roi est mort !
    Vive le Roi !

On the last night, the day of “ Mardi Gras “, the Carnival King marches alone, one last time, and is burnt near the sea. Then, a gigantic firework ends this big tradition.

  • The king is dead
    Long live the king!

AprĂšs la Gastronomie , quel sera le nouveau thĂšme 2015 ?
Les paris sont lancés !

After Gastronomy, what will be the new theme for 2015?
Bets are in.

Author: GeneviĂšve

GeneviĂšve

My name is GeneviĂšve and I live in Nice on the sunny French Riviera, "la CĂŽte d'Azur".

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