France is getting ready for the carnival in Nice

February 12, 2010 at the jewel of the Cote d'Azur and one of the main resorts of France, Nice, will begin the traditional carnival Carnaval De Nice. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists go to Nice to become its spectator or participant, so renting a room in a hotel, rent a house or a cottage during the carnival for two weeks is almost unreal - you should order at least a month beforehand. The Carnaval De Nice along with the Venetian Carnival and the Carnival in Rio is one of three largest, most popular and most colorful carnivals of the world. According to legend, the Carnival in Nice was coined in old 1294, when the Duke of Anjou came to the Cote d'Azur to fun before the coming fasting. Since then the Carnival has got its own traditions and attributes that make it unique in comparison with similar events in other cities and countries. So, for example, each year, the Carnival, which the locals call His Majesty, gets a new name, which specifies the subjects and the whole holiday. In 1953 the Carnival was called "the King of the Circus", in 1964 - "the King of Dance", in 1990 - "the King of Laughter", and this year – “The King of Blue Planet”, which would draw people's attention to the environmental situation on Earth.

The Carnaval De Nice starts on February 12 at 9 pm, when on the Massena Square on a huge platform decorated with fresh flowers will appear the doll made of papier-mache depicting the King of the Blue Planet. From now until February 28 the city’s streets will be turned into a grand masquerade performance with endless carnival processions and musical accompaniment. The most striking moments of the Carnival include: the Parade of Light, the Parade of colors and the Battle of Flowers on the Promenade des Anglais. The Battle of Flowers is one of the events of the Carnival, which makes it truly unforgettable. The procession consisting of the 20 platforms is richly decorated with daisies, peonies, carnations, irises and, of course, blossoming mimosa (each platform has from 4 to 6 thousand flowers), will move along the Promenade des Anglais until nightfall and will culminate with a spectacular firework.

The administration of Nice is very seriously preparing for the Carnaval De Nice and despite the crisis for the festival was allocated 6 000 000 Euros!