By Danielle Ngamegni

The Portuguese and Brazilian studies and the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures hosted the Global Carnaval 2026 to teach students about Carnaval traditions from around the world in St. Mary’s Hall on Feb. 24.

The event featured professors and students who presented Carnaval traditions from Sardinia, Italy, Cuba, the Canary Islands, Brazil and Martinique.

The room was decorated in festive colors that resembled Brazil’s flag. The Carnaval also included workshops teaching Samba, a popular Brazilian Carnaval dance, and students creating their own masquerade eye masks. Street food such as pão de queijo, coxinha and pastel were served to attendees. 

“It’s important because just to be able to spread information about Carnaval in Italy, because I feel like it’s a little bit less known,” said junior communications major Kate Mastracci. 

Many professors recounted their own experiences attending Carnavals growing up.

“In my town in Sassari, the classic things that you get to do for the Carnaval in Italy, you get to dress up, you go to the square, you play with other kids, eat sweets and throw confetti,” said Italian lecturer Federica Soddu.

Eyda Merediz, an associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese, discussed how both Cuba and the Canary Islands encourage a variety of musical and dance genres. 

Conga is a drum that is played in Cuban Carnavals that has strong roots in African traditions. Musicians in Cuba also practice paseos, an orchestral-like music.

Merediz also spotlighted that Canario, an indigenous dance from the Canary Islands, became a popular European folklore dance in theater performances.

In her presentation about Martinique Carnavals, Cécile Accilien, professor of French and francophone studies, highlighted how the event became a huge scene for the LGBTQ+ community. She said men and women would cross-dress, breaking free from social norms. 

“People need to understand the complexity of Carnaval, and that Carnaval is very layered,” Accilen said. “It’s important to understand the history of how Carnaval came to be, especially in the French-speaking provinces.”

Students in Portuguese Lecturer Parker Brookie’s course highlighted how Carnavals in Brazil are a nationwide event where Carnaval goers enjoy the mix of cultures and spending time with each other. 

The students noted that schools and businesses are closed, and the streets are filled with parades, parties and tourist attractions. 

“In Brazil, you know that it’s roots in Afro Brazilian culture, you see how it mixes a bunch of different cultures, a bunch of different traditions, and cuts through different social classes,” Brookie said.

Learning about Carnavals around the world inspired students such as sophomore information science major Kevin Miele to attend similar events in the future. 

“I’ve never been, and I want to, but that’s a goal of mine, for sure,” Miele said.

Miele added that he encourages anyone to join cultural clubs, as it is a great way to open doors socially and get exposure to new cultures.

Featured Image: Students create masquerade masks at Global Carnaval on Feb. 24. Photo by Danielle Ngamegni.