ETYMOLOGY In the early middle Ages the Catholic Church proposed an etymology of carnival: the meat-levare Vulgar Latin,

which means "abandon the flesh" (which was just the mandatory requirement for all people for all Fridays of Lent). WHATS THE CARNIVAL? Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life. Some of the best-known traditions, including carnival parades and masquerade ball masquerading, were first recorded in medieval Italy. The carnival of Venice was for a long time the most famous carnival. From Italy, carnival traditions spread to the Catholic nations of Spain, Portugal, and France. From France, they spread to the Rhineland of Germany, and to New France in North America. From Spain and Portugal, they spread with Catholic colonization to the Caribbean and Latin America. CARNIVAL IN THE WORLD This celebration is well known around the world, each country has a particular way of celebrating, but one of the most famous is Brazilian Carnaval. The Brazilian carnival play a central role in the samba schools, these are very elaborate sets of dance, music and singing, parading through the streets and in the "sambdromos" (in So Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). The common music is call Samba but other music can be heard like Ax and Frevo Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. Except the industries, malls and the carnival related workers, the country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. The consumption of beer accounts for 80% of annual consumption and tourism receives 70% of annual visitors.

CARNIVAL IN ECUADOR In Ecuador, the celebrations have a history that begins before the arrival of Catholicism. It is known that the Huarangas Indians (from the Chimbos nation) used to celebrate the second moon of the year with a festival at which they threw flour, flowers and perfumed water. This once pagan tradition has since merged with the Catholic celebration of Carnival.

A common feature of Ecuadorian Carnival is the diablitos (little devils) who play with water. As with snowball fights, the practice of throwing or dumping water on unsuspecting victims is especially revered by children and teenagers, and feared by some adults. Throwing water balloons, sometimes even eggs and flour both to friends and strangers passing by the street can be a lot of fun but can also raise the ire of unfamiliarised foreigners and even locals. Although the government as well as school authorities forbid such games, it is still widely practiced throughout the country. Historians tell of a Bishop in 1867 who threatened the punishment of excommunication for the sin of playing Carnival games. Different festivities are held in various regions of the country, where the locals wear disguises with colorful masks and dance to the rhythm of lively music. Usually, the celebrations begin with the election of the Taita Carnival (Father Carnival) who will head the festivities and lead the parades in each city. The most famed Carnival festivities are those in Guaranda (Bolivar province) and Ambato (Tungurahua province). In Ambato, the festivities are called Fiesta de las Flores y las Frutas (Festival of the Flowers and Fruits). Other cities have also revived the Carnival traditions with colorful parades, such as in Azogues (Caar Province). In Azogues and the Southern Andes in general, the Taita Carnival is always an indigenous Caari dressed for the celebrations. Recently also a celebration has gained prominence in the northern part of the Sierra in the Chota Valley in Imbabura which is a zone of a strong afro-Ecuadorian population and so the Carnival is celebrated with bomba del chota music. The Ecuadorian Carnival is celebrated on February 20, This is celebrated all over the country, with parades, floats filled with flowers, fruits and beautiful women, games, banquets, dances and entertainment in general, with lots of food and lots of drinking

with in some cityes people play with water and carnival foam, The powder is used to paint your face as a funny way to play. The most known of this celebration is the city of Guaranda, capital of Bolvar province, 4 hours from the capital of Ecuador Quito, where they arrive from the same range and Ecuadorean coast for being in the middle of Ecuador. People usually drink liquor, is typical of the area the "blue bird". There is a parade of floats, identifying various themes and dance troupes most traditional carnival anthem "Carnival of Guaranda". Earlier in the celebration of Guayaquils Carnival was totally different from what is known today, in those days people organizing banquets where each of the guests contributed a monetary fee, these entertainments were very expected by the population. One of the most memorable activities was the election of Miss Carnival; this queen was chosen to celebrate the carnival. many ladies were competing with each other and one chose the one most like the public, the prize was a belt and a wreath accompanied by a bouquet of flowers .

In this picture the winner from 1932 Ms Rosa Piedad.

THE FOOD On the feast of carnival food is the key, because generosity is everywhere. Not surprisingly it is a ceremony to rebuild community ties. In some villages in the mountains are usually making jucho (a wash of cornstarch or cornmeal, capul, pepper and cinnamon) and scrape fresh black figs with brown sugar. Entrees are usually fry with corn and plantains, guinea pigs or rabbits with potatoes and peanut Sarza sambo or nugget, the stew with the slaughter of pigs. While, in the villages of the Costa tasted the dishes are made with fish (encocado, for example). In celebration of the carnival season found the following dishes: Fry, mote, cuy potatoes, sausage, chigiles, sambo candy, fruit and quince, chicha, among others. MUSIC Most of the music that can be heard during this celebration is Andean music with contemporary music, also native rhythms are heard CARNIVAL ON THE ECUADORIAN RURAL AREAS In the holidays almost no sleep and from six o'clock starts to scorch pigs, dubbed cooking, prepare humas, chicha, sweet sambo, bread, among others. To be provided to visitors or relatives who wet inside and out, painted face with dust and carnival songs are disguised carrying guitars, accordions and drums join this festival. At the party makes use of maize as consumed in various forms: sweet or dry, natural or processed as corn cooked, roasted, mote, ground into flour to make "Chiguiles" and wrap with tender leaves of the same corn , in the form of alcohol Chicha de Jora, fermentation of corn is germinating corn or flour whitening people involved in the party. In rural Carnival begins with Gallo's game disguised Compadre that mimic various animals and the sound of a drum, walking those days the house of their buddies, neighbors and friends, to be cared for and treated to hearty meals and liquor .

Bibliography Interview with Architect Florencio Compte by Alejandro Delgado 2012 November 28 Semana Grafica Magazine #320 - March 1932 Page 5. Online Etymology Dictionary - Douglas Harper available on http://www.etymonline.com tag Carnival The Free Encyclopedia - Wikimedia Foundation Inc. available on http://en.wikipedia.org tag Carnival Carnival Blog - Creative Common available on http://www.encarnaval.com/