February and March are the time for party-loving cultures and Catholics everywhere to celebrate Carnival, Carnaval, Carnevale, Mardi Gras and other pre-Lenten festivals.

With the winter season comes Carnival. New Orleans' Mardi Gras, Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval and Venice's Carnevale may have the most famous celebrations, but there are great family events in small town USA, Caribbean islands and Europe's most glamorous locales.

Carnival is a traditional period of celebration that begins on 12th Night in January, and culminates on Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday (also called Shrove Tuesday), the day prior to Ash Wednesday. It is always celebrated 47 days before Easter to mark the first day of Lent. It is such a popular and colorful festival that for many travelers, it’s the prime reason for a winter vacation.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

New Orleans is Mardi Gras, and preparations began in early January with events scheduled for weekends leading up to Mardi Gras, Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

There will be nights of festive parades by Krewes (secret societies which compete for the most lavish floats) and marching bands; though often unsuitable for children and modest adults, these late-into-the-night events are great fun. In recent years, David Copperfield, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, The Shirelles and other celebrities have joined in the effort to celebrate life's excesses. There are also many good-clean-fun activities to choose from.

Mardi Gras can be a kid-friendly affair. The New Orleans Tourist Office suggests that families with pre-teens avoid the French Quarter, where parades don't pass anyway. Instead, take the family to the parades' beginnings at St. Charles Avenue between First Street and Napoleon Avenue. (By the time most parades reach the end of the route, it's past 11pm.) The garden district area of St. Charles is a major tourist attraction, and visitors find many local families staking out their positions throughout the season, having picnics, playing ball, and having fun under the beautiful oak trees. Parents of younger kids won't have to worry about the streetcars, as they stop running in this area during Mardi Gras. Families can visit Mardi Gras New Orleans for a schedule of festivities, as well as to determine which hotels have available rooms for this period.

If you've got wheels, the NoLa tourist office suggests a drive to the suburban areas such as Metairie, only 10 minutes away. Metairie's Caesar Parade, held the Saturday before Mardi Gras weekend, is the parade featured at Orlando's Disney World on Mardi Gras day, making it extra special for kids to see. Alternatively, you can take the kids to explore Mardi Gras history at the Louisiana State Museum's "Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Time in Louisiana" exhibit at The Presbytere or visit Mardi Gras World and show them how floats are designed and made.

Making Mardi Gras an All in the Family Event

The queen of all of them -- due to its fabulous festivities -- is New Orleans, Louisiana, a region whose French-Catholic heritage is behind the tradition. NoLa's Mardi Gras celebration is such a long-standing tradition that the local tourism office has learned how to make it a fun event for families. Follow their tips to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment:

• Safety First:  Arrive early to orient everyone before the crowds pile in. Make sure the kids know where to go if you get separated in a crowd, label their clothing in case they get lost, make sure they stay clear of the floats.
• Bring supplies:  Pack snacks, extra toiletries, a cell phone. A picnic basket and an umbrella are for just in case.
• Bring a large carryall:  Passing parades toss out beads, candy, stuffed animals and more known as "throws," a tradition dating to the 1870s. There are sure to be souvenirs that kids will want to keep.
• Dress comfortably:  Comfortable shoes, some rain gear and an extra layer may come in handy.

Many other Catholic cultures around the world have their own celebrations, and NoLa's sound advice applies to watching or partaking of Carnival celebrations anywhere. Note that while most of the Caribbean islands hold wonderful festivities and traditional contests in honor of Mardi Gras, many have shifted their celebrations away from the Lenten period to the summer or other busy tourist times to enhance the destination’s tourist appeal.

Carnivals Around the United States

Mobile, Alabama

In America's own Mobile, Alabama, locals claim they’ve celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday since 1703, when their fair city was the capital of France’s Louisiana Province. The fun at "America's Family Mardi Gras" as they like to describe themselves, begins February 5th on Dauphin Island and continues from January 21 to February 21, 2012, with weekend festivities and parties. On Mardi Gras Tuesday, the biggest parades and lavish costumed events occur. If you are there for it, please tell us all about the scheduled Infant Mystics Parade! If you're too late to catch the celebration, be sure to stop by the Mobile Carnival Museum, a small private home which features all the fun of carnival. The Mobile Bay Tourism Office has top value lodging options and other events information as well.

Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola, Florida is better known for its Blue Angels than its extensive Mardi Gras party, but it's quickly become a local tradition. For several dates beginning in early February and occurring mostly weekends, families are more than welcome at galleries and local festivities. Expect to join in the bead throwing as parades pass by, and the catching of moonpies as they are tossed from floats. Count on the Krewe of Junkanoo Kritter Krawl at the Gulfside Pavilion to thrill the kids, who can stay after the pets have passed and join their own Krewe of Kids parade. Contests and Cajun food festivals abound. Note that Pensacola's biggest parade takes place on Saturday, February 19, 2012. If you can find accommodations, they’re ususally a very good value during this period and with any luck, the weather will be fine.

Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas

Heading west, Port Arthur, Texas is the home base of this local festival. The Cajun-style holiday is celebrated over the weekend of February 16-19, 2012, with a boat parade, zydeco bands (kids under 12 enter free) and lots of barbecue. A Munchkin Mardi Gras parade is on Sunday, offering families a chance to play at the midway, arcade games, bouncey Moon Room and more. Not the best season to visit what is usually a popular summertime resort area, nonetheless, the hotels (most major chains are represented here) are a bargain and there is a full schedule of free, family-worthy events. Check out Southeast Texas Mardi Gras for the current attractions.

Mardi Gras in Biloxi, Mississippi

If you are searching for a Mardi Gras celebration that is slightly tamer then New Orleans, welcome to Biloxi, Mississippi. This Gulf Coast town knows how to party in a big way, while keeping it entirely family-friendly. Mardi Gras in Biloxi is full of families, many with very young children. There are festive events for several weeks prior to Mardi Gras, but the main event is on Fat Tuesday, with a parade that is bursting with music, dancing and merriment. Everyone lines the streets pleading for the various Krewes to throw them Mardi Gras beads from atop of their floats. The coronation of the Mardi Gras King and Queen is held on the eve of Mardi Gras and everyone is welcome to attend the pageantry of this ceremonial crowning. Locals put on their finest clothes for this event, but you can dress as casually as you like. If the weather cooperates, the kids can take a break from the celebration and stroll barefoot in the sugar-soft sand, before climbing the spiral staircase to the top of the old-fashioned lighthouse, where they can enjoy a superlative view of the coastline.

Carnivals Around the World

Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo & Recife

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the many nights of Carnaval’s raucous street parties, parades and dance-a-thons take on the colors, sensual sounds and picante flavors of Brazil’s African heritage. Beginning the prior December and continuing weekly through Carnival Sunday are dozens of samba school lessons, costume workshops and other preparatory events to build the carioca spirit. Only cheap seats for the bleachers will be left for the Samba Schools Parade held the Sunday and Monday before the big day, Mardi Gras (February 21, 2012); each school's 80-minute parade may have up to 10 floats and 4,000 participants.

Call Riotur, the tourist office (+21 55/2266-9750) for information about how you and your family can rent a costume, join a samba school parade (after taking dance lessons, of course) and participate in one of the greatest shows on earth. Short of that, there's info on booking tickets to attractions and events during this season, and tips about pickpockets. The Sao Paulo Carnival celebration is very similar to those in Rio, but the "samba schools" take dancing to the next level with festive competitions. The less-internationally famous Carnival in Recife is a past winner of "world's largest carnival parade" (based on number of participants) according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Whichever Brazilian city you decide to explore, each has its own unique perspective on Carnival celebrations.

Dominica, Eastern Caribbean

On the lesser known island of Dominica, between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean, Carnival or Mas Domnik extends from four weeks prior to Fat Tuesday to a few weeks after. Highlights for families include the Carnival Princess Show (at the Old Mill), in which contestants from various primary schools compete for Princess and the Teenage Pageant. Since music is such a big part of the fun, Dominicans vote for both the Soca and Calypso stars of their country: the Soca Superstar Rupee international artists' concert usually takes place in Carnival City and the Calypso King is chosen from a competition concert at the Reigate Downtown. For information on accommodations, visit Dominica tourist information.

Germany

All around Germany, cities with a largely Catholic population celebrate with parades, costume balls, puppet theaters and carnival choruses. The exact time of celebration and the traditions vary from county to county, but Karneval or Faschinggenerally takes place in early spring. Munich, Cologne and Mainz are strongholds of Mardi Gras celebrations. Some highlights: In Mainz, home of the Gutenberg printing press, there’s a children’s costume parade with thousands of youngsters, many in elaborately decorated floats, taking part. Cologne (or Koln) usually celebrates early, but on Rose Monday ("Rosenmontag"), the city hosts Europe’s largest float-filled parade. In the Bavarian capital of Munich, revelers enjoy the famous Fasching doughnuts, an annual treat purchased –– and consumed –– by the dozen! For schedule information, visit the official German Tourist Office site. The fun doesn't have to end in February. For a first hand account of one family's post-Fasching celebration in Heidelberg, read Jaclyn Stockton-Sooy's account of her Karneval-inspired German vacation.

Italy, Venice

In a country where everything is high style, the colorful Carnevale di Venezia in Venice is the largest Carnival celebration. For 2012, it will take place from February 11-21. As tradition has dictated since the year 1296, festivities begin on weekends, then become nightly events of strolling citizens clad in elaborate, themed costumes and masks as Fat Tuesday (Martedi Grasso) approaches. This year's food, fashion and music parties, in addition to parades, will entertain visitors not only in the Piazza San Marco and on the Grand Canal, but in the Casino and many other neighborhood squares as well. Giovedi Grasso and Martedi Grasso are the biggest nights, but don't miss the special Kid's Fete and the Best Mask for Children Contest at Piazza San Marco. Masks are popular with all ages, and with people from all walks of life, and usually represent characters from classic Italian folk tales.

Mexico

Families will find somewhat toned-down celebrations in Mexico, where Catholics spend five days enjoying music, dance, parades and feasts before the arrival of Lent. Known for its Afro-Caribbean-influenced culture, the port city of Veracruz hosts Mexico’s largest Carnaval; its parade features Draculas, drag queens and women in outrageous sparkling dresses dancing to the Caribbean - Spanish rhythms along Miguel Avila Camacho Boulevard. Take your outgoing kids to the historic zócalo, or central square, to join in the evening dancing. Smaller celebrations are held in Merida and Cozumel (for families visiting the Cancun area), Ensenada (easy for those coming from Los Angeles) and La Paz.  The narrow streets of Mazatlan fill with organized parades of masked and costumed dancers, local mariachi, live bands from Cuba and the Caribbean, and visiting revelers. It's more fun than Spring Break and room rates are lower! The oceanside Malecón running along Olas Altas Beach downtown is the prime parade route; grab a spot and watch the regional Sinaloenses bands with lots of brass, passing paper mache floats (some very elaborate) and performing rock groups. Food festivals are organized in the Zona Dorada and the Plaza Machado, and there is an on-going fair with amusement park rides for all ages running for about two weeks.

Trinidad & Tobago

The twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), the most southerly islands in the Caribbean, celebrate Carnival as part of their multicultural history. After New Years, it seems the entire nation focuses on dance lessons, costume making, the artistry of masks, music and Soca dancing. Each week in February brings new events and contests, leading up to a Junior Panorama Steel Drum play off and Junior King & Queen of Carnival competitions. From dawn on Carnival Monday through the night of Mardi Gras (Carnival Tuesday), the festival unites local and foreign communities in celebrating a proud Caribbean tradition. For more information on this densely packed schedule, visit the Trinidad & Tobago Tourism website.

In fact, any family traveling during this period should check with the local tourist office to see what the locals have in store. This season, we’ve noted celebrations from chilly Quebec to Universal Studios Orlando to Cuba, wherever the party spirit lives on!