Le carnaval en France
Read all about carnival traditions in France with this reading comprehension exercise.
The translation is included so you can easily look up any unknown words or phrases.
Be sure to check out our list of carnival vocab and matching exercises for more practice.
Translation
Carnival in France
Carnival is an event celebrated in many regions in France. The parades in the northern towns are known for their giants, for example. In the south, the parade in Nice is even broadcast on television.
Schools also organise their own carnival celebrations. All the children dress up and sometimes they make their costumes together with their parents. For one day only, schools are filled with princes and princesses, superheroes, knights, fairies, animals, astronauts and firefighters … there’s no limits to children’s (and adults’!) imaginations.
Carnival is also known as “Mardi gras” because it’s the last day before Lent. On this day, eating crêpes is a tradition enjoyed by young and old alike. The atmosphere is amazing: there is music and the crowd dances. Lots of people dress up as clowns and wear fake noses. Others hide behind masks. The streets are decorated with garlands and bunting.
Participants march on foot or on floats in front of the spectators who crowd the streets to admire the imaginative costumes. Streamers and confetti fly through the air. The public wave little flags.
In large towns, the parades are often very long and you have to get to the street early to get a good spot in the crowd. When you’ve been at the parade for a while, you’re bound to end up hungry. But everything is provided: trucks are transformed into food stands offering snacks. After regaining their strength, parade-goers get back to partying.
