LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Carnival: Ash Wednesday
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The origins of carnival date back to the ancient Greek spring festival in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted the celebration with Bacchanalia (feasts in honor of Bacchus, the Roman equivalent to Dionysus), and Saturnalia, where slaves and their masters would exchange clothes in a day of drunken revelry. Saturnalia was later modified by the Roman Catholic Church into a festival leading up Ash Wednesday. It quickly evolved into a massive celebration of indulgences - one last gasp of music, food, alcohol, and sex before Lent - before the 40 days of personal reflection, abstinence, and fasting until Easter (not exactly what the Church probably had in mind). 40 days of purging sins, preceded by a week filled with virtually every known sin. The word itself comes from Latin, "Carne Vale" or "Farewell to the Flesh".
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The "Swabian-Alemannic" carnival begins on January 6 (Epiphany/Three Kings Day). This celebration is known as Fastnacht. Variants are Fasnet, Fasnacht or Fasent. Fastnacht is held in Baden-Württemberg, parts of Bavaria, and Alsace. Switzerland and Vorarlberg, in Austria... hold this celebration. The festival starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, known in these regions as Schmutziger Donnerstag or Fettdonnerstag.
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The annual carnival festivities culminate with the grand carnival parade, which always falls the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Aruba's main event starts at 11 a.m. in Oranjestad and continues into the evening in the streets of the city.
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Pegged to the song's key lyrical phrase "Oooh, you make me live," three different commercials have been created, each targeting a core market for Carnival. "No Age Limit on Fun" showcases multi-generational travel; "A Big New World" is aimed at families; and "A World of Delightful Surprises" focuses on the romance aspect of cruising. Although the commercials are aimed at specific audiences, all three spots convey Carnival's unique ambiance and diversity of choices, both on-board and ashore.
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