Carnaval de Mulhouse, Carnival in Mulhouse, France
The Carnaval de Mulhouse is an annual celebration held mainly in February that fills the city center with colors and costumes. Various groups and performers appear at different locations throughout the city, featuring music, dance performances, and small spectacles that create a festive environment for all ages.
The carnival has roots going back over a century, with early reports from the 1860s of parades and processions in the city. After being paused during the wars, local volunteers revived the tradition in the 1950s, with the first major parade in 1954 attracting over a hundred groups and drawing large crowds.
The carnival is a community celebration where people express themselves through costumes and creative displays throughout the city. Residents and local shops participate by decorating their storefronts and joining in parades, turning the streets into a place where humor and local traditions come together.
The celebration takes place mainly in February in the city center, with parades starting from the train station and ending in front of City Hall. Visitors should expect large crowds and wear comfortable shoes to explore the different locations where performers and groups appear throughout the week.
A special symbol of the carnival is the Klapperstei, a medieval stone sculpture showing a face with its tongue sticking out that was once used to punish liars and gossips. This playful emblem became a fun representation of the carnival spirit, embodying the idea of making fun and not taking things too seriously.
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