Carnival in France
Learn how Carnival is Celebrated in France
Le Carnaval = Carnival
KS2/3 French Practice:
Video, Online Quiz + Worksheet
On + Verbs in the 3rd person
On = One, you, we, it … (On is impersonal)
Verbs
faire – on fait
We make
préparer – on prépare
We prepare
défiler – on défile
We parade
chanter – on chante
We sing
marcher – on marche
We walk
retourner – on retourne
We return
manger – on mange
We eat
brûler – on brûle
We burn
oublier – on oublie
We forget
se déguiser – on se déguise
We get dressed up, put on fancy dress
How/Where is carnival is celebrated in France?
How do children celebrate carnival at school?
Le Carnaval
is celebrated all over France.
French nursery schools (écoles maternelles) organise carnival processions and festivities for the children, and there are big city and town celebrations too.
Internationally famous French carnivals include:
Nice, Albi, Douarnenez, Annecy …
Carnival season begins on 6th January (Epiphany) and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent:
Mardi Gras = Shrove Tuesday
Le Carême = Lent
Gras = Fat
Mardi Gras = Fat Tuesday …
A good name because it is Pancake Day and time for a feast before many still try to give up favourite treats for 40 days until Easter Sunday.
Mardi Gras = Shrove Tuesday = Pancake Day
Une crêpe(f) = A pancake
Carnival Celebrations in Schools:
Le Carnaval is a time when children, parents and teachers get involved in making costumes, preparing a feast, organising a procession (un défilé) for all the children, and then returning to burn Monsieur Carnaval before feasting on crêpes and other treats.
What/Who is Monsieur Carnaval?
Monsieur Carnaval is a figure that is made and then burnt to help people to move on from winter, bad behaviour and negative thought, and so look forward to Spring and better times.
Sometimes children write down the negative things that they are going to try not to do or think anymore, and these notes are burnt alongside Monsieur Carnaval.
Video
Printable Worksheet – Le Carnaval
Online Quiz
This quiz is also available on its own separate page here:
Online Quiz
#1. We make a Mr Carnival.
#2. We prepare the celebration.
#3. We march through the streets.
#4. We sing. We make a noise.
#5. We walk a lot.
#6. We go back to school.
#7. We have a party!
#8. We eat pancakes.
#9. We burn our bad thoughts with Mr Carnival.
#10. We forget winter.
Video Transcript
Que fait-on?
On fait un Monsieur Carnaval.
On prépare la fête.
On se déguise.
On défile dans les rues.
On chante. On fait du bruit.
On marche beaucoup.
On retourne à l’école.
On fait la fête!
On mange des crêpes!
Et Monsieur Carnaval?
On brûle Monsieur Carnaval.
On brûle Monsieur Carnaval avec toutes nos mauvaises pensées.
On oublie l’hiver.
Le printemps arrive!
. . .
