What is Carnival?
- The ebook Holidays Around the World has many different short encyclopedia entries on Carnival, each focused on a different country. Each entry briefly describes the major characteristics and timeframe for how that particular geographic location and culture celebrates Carnival. (Ebook allows multiple simultaneous readers.)
- For a bit of a longer and more historical view, check out the entry on Carnival from the (ebook) Encyclopedia of Religion. This will particularly help you understand the Catholic roots of this festival.
What do you wear for Carnival?
- The (ebook) Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion provides an interesting overview on the various cultural contributions to Carnival clothing, particularly focused on African/Caribbean traditions.
- The bibliographic essay Carnivalesque Dress by Benjamin Wild provides a good overview on clothing worn in Carnivals and how it has changed over the centuries.
- Pro Tip: Be sure to get all the way to the "References and Further Reading" section for a core listing of other materials on the topic. Click on the "Find in Library" links to see if they're available at UCI Libraries.
- A good (brief) overview of modern Carnival Dress was written by Babatunde Lawal in the Berg Companion to Fashion.
- Pro Tip: Scroll all the way to the bottom for links to related content, like an article on "Carnaval Costume in Brazil," etc.
Where can I search for high quality images of Carnival?
- AP Images will be the best starting point for great pictures plus context. Click on the link, then choose "UC Irvine." Try searching for Carnival and you'll find more than 15,000 images. Narrow it down by adding in the name of a country or location as well. For example, carnival and Germany will retrieve over 1,000 images. Most images are fairly contemporary from the 21st century.
How can I find more information than what's listed here?
- Here's a library catalog search for materials that are about Carnival. This is quite broad and includes items like books describing the history of these celebrations, streaming video that documents them, plays and novels that are centered around them, etc. I encourage you to use the limiters on the left side of the page to narrow your search down a bit more (particularly whether you want to find something "available online").
- You should always feel comfortable reaching out directly to me for more focused help too! Email me at: stonesm@uci.edu