By IBTimes Staff Reporter | February 22, 2012 1:27 AM IST

Carnival 2012: Europe Bids 'Farewell to the Flesh' [SLIDESHOW]

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Carnival 2012: Europe Bids 'Farewell to the Flesh' [SLIDESHOW]

Carnival is a festive event held before the Christian observance of Lent, a forty-day period of prayer and fasting before the celebration of Easter. It is commonly held in countries with sizable Catholic populations, and is celebrated with costumes, parades and feasts. The word "Carnival," roughly translated from Latin, means "farewell to meat" or "farewell to flesh." It is a term that connotes both the coming period of solemnity and restraint as well as a sort of celebratory liberation from the body and everyday life.

The float of the King of Carnival (L) passes by a float with giant figures of members of Britain's royal family during the Nice Carnival in Nice, southeastern France February 19, 2012. The carnival, which starts on February 17 and continues to March 4, celebrates "King of sport" this year.

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Eric Gaillard / REUTERS
France
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