English carnival information?

Nottinghill Carnival is the largest carnival in Europe and the second largest street celebration in the world after the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The carnival was held for the first time in 1964 and received a great response. Since then, it has been held every year in the Notting Hill neighborhood in the northwest corner of London. This is the 42nd edition so far.

Carnival customs originate from Caribbean Culture. In the 1960s, the British organized the Notting Hill Carnival in order to reconcile the racial pressure faced by black people and promote mutual exchanges between black and white people. This tradition continues today and has become an international event where people from all over the world gather to communicate and vent with each other through music and dance. This year, the theme of the carnival is "Unity and Diversity". Britain, which is in the "post-bombing period", is eager to tell the world that the British people are united and at the same time warm and tolerant of various cultures. In order to ensure that "everyone has a carnival," the organizers also specially arranged a "Caribbean Style Exhibition" in Hyde Park, not far from the Notting Hill neighborhood, for those elegant people who can't stand the crazy atmosphere. Those who feel suffocated during Carnival can take a break in the sunshine and lawns of Hyde Park and soak in the fragrance of the Caribbean.

This year’s Notting Hill Carnival was lucky enough to encounter the rare continuous good weather in the foggy city. From August 28th to 29th, the celebration lasted for two days and two nights, and people dancing until 30 I left Notting Hill reluctantly and exhausted at 3 o'clock in the morning on the same day. According to the BBC, a total of 750,000 people attended the event.

Say "no" to terror

This carnival is London's first large-scale public event after the terrorist bombings in July, and security issues naturally take priority. The London police deployed 5,000 police officers to ensure the safety and smoothness of this event! Almost wherever you can hear the carnival music, you can see groups of police patrolling around with serious expressions. Their work has also produced great results! The London police said on BBC radio: "It is very inspiring to see so many people taking to the streets and celebrating freely. This proves that Londoners are not intimidated by terrorist attacks. , the colorful life of Londoners continues, and our enthusiasm continues unabated.”

Carnival Search

Black people - the protagonists of the Carnival

Black people are the protagonists of Carnival. They play every role of the carnival: black police, black volunteers, black dancers, black tourists, black vendors. Because Carnival is a festival for black people! In Carnival, you will not see a shy black person, nor will you see a black person standing in a daze (except for the black police). Every black person is dancing, Everyone was laughing and shouting. Black people lead the procession of costumed teams, and all DJs are black. They give the carnival energy and passion!

Police - serious-looking citizens

On the day of the carnival , if you don’t know the exact address of the event, then take a closer look where there are a surprising number of police officers, which must be the carnival area. According to the BBC, 5,000 police officers were deployed in London for this event! Looking around, there was more than one police officer in every corner scanning the crowd with serious expressions. They are the only people in the entire carnival who don't laugh and dance. But if you ask them or ask for help, they will answer your questions with a smile on their face. If you take a picture of them, they will cooperate and show a mighty look. There were also patrols on horseback guarding several intersections outside the Carnival district. They stopped at the intersection like statues, smiling at every child who came to pet the horses, and matching the flashes of tourists.

Foreigners - the new carnival force

For tourists from all over the world, London is often the first stop when traveling to the UK, and the Notting Hill Carnival is The second largest carnival in the world, no one will want to miss it. The DJ rapped: "...I see white people, I see black people, I see yellow people, and red people... Ah, yes, let's all dance! Don't worry, don't be nervous, let's all dance Let’s go!” Walking among the crowd, my ears were filled with all kinds of languages. Foreign tourists often take photos with various brands of cameras first, and then they themselves also dance with their cameras. There are also some yellow people among them, but they are relatively few, and they are a relatively quiet group of people.

Perhaps because of cultural differences, it is more difficult to blend into the carnival atmosphere. I remember once hearing a friend describe the annual fireworks festival in Tokyo, Japan: people entered the venue in an orderly manner, and the gorgeous fireworks took off. There was only a faint sound of approval, but no high cheers. After the event, everyone left silently. There would be no crowding or pushing, and no trash would be left on the ground! This kind of Eastern culture is indeed different from the culture where people are smeared with chocolate sauce and dance like monsters.

Carnival treasure hunt

Whistle - a tool that answers a hundred questions

On the day of the carnival, if you can grab a handful of whistles that cost a few cents each in the domestic wholesale market and sell them, , you will definitely make a lot of money. Whistling is the best way to respond to loud music, and almost everyone has a whistle hanging around their neck. The vendors kept selling in the crowd. Except for a few blocks where free whistles are distributed to tourists, most of the whistles sold by vendors are 1 pound each, equivalent to RMB 14! Children look for the whistles dropped by people on the ground like a treasure hunt, and rush to pick them up as soon as they see them. Rise up and take it for yourself.

Jerk Chicken - a "must eat" during the carnival

Jerk Chicken is the most popular carnival food. There are many grilled chicken drumstick stalls on every street within the Carnival area, and almost every tourist will not miss this delicacy. Although it is no different from the domestic roasted chicken legs, because it is an iconic food that symbolizes the Caribbean culture of the Carnival, it has become a "must eat" during the festival! The "Carnival Precautions" on the official website specifically states: " Please remember to bring a paper towel to wipe down after eating the grilled chicken legs.” The price of grilled chicken legs is about 3 pounds, equivalent to RMB 43. It is a Caribbean-style food.

Beer - an important role in carnival

British pub culture is world-famous. Football hooligans are also known to go crazy after drinking. Beer also plays an important role in Carnival activities! Bars move mountains of beer outside the store to make it easier for visitors to buy. The supermarket not far from the Carnival District displays beer in the most conspicuous place, and sends employees to hold small signs on the street to attract tourists' attention. The small signs read such as: "TESCO is open, and there are a lot of discounts on beer!" etc. slogan. The price of carnival beer is around 2 pounds, equivalent to RMB 30. Not to be outdone, residents in the neighborhood took out boxes of cold beer from their homes and sold it on the roadside. Because it was cheap and convenient, sales were also very good.