The Student Activities Center Sargent Gym was bustling with colors, beads, masks and dancing on Saturday at the annual Carnaval celebration, held this year to support Haiti relief.
About 200 students attended the celebration, co-hosted by The Brazilian Association, Haitian Cultural Association and the French Cultural Society.
This was the first time the Brazilian Association, Haitian Cultural Association, and the French Cultural Society have teamed up to host Carnaval together. The evening benefited Partners in Health, a Boston-based organization working to bring health care to the developing world.
The organization has worked in Haiti for over 20 years to provide modern medical care to poor communities, and is now promoting its “Stand with Haiti” campaign in the wake of the earthquake there, according to the organization’s website.
Carnaval is the Portuguese name of the celebratory season that occurs before Lent in Roman Catholic communities. It is a widely celebrated tradition in many countries, including Brazil, Haiti, France and Venice, Italy.
“All three cultures celebrate some version of Carnaval,” said Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior and Haitian Cultural Association member Farrah Belizaire.
Students arrived at the event in traditional costumes, complete with brightly colored masks.
Afro Brazil provided traditional Brazilian music and DJ Takeover Sound blasted jams for students to dance to.
The menu included an array of different Haitian, French and Brazilian foods such as beef patties, quiche, salgadinhos, brigadeiros, cream puffs, éclairs and energy drinks.
“We’re celebrating Carnaval the Brazilian way,” said College of Arts and Sciences junior and BU Brazilian Association treasurer Luzia Santos said.
Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a Carnaval celebration during which participants indulge in their last day of feasting and revelry before beginning Lent.It is held the day before Ash Wednesday and falls on Feb. 16 this year.
“Mardi Gras is one big day of embellishing,” Belizaire said.
Attendees were given the gold, green and purple beads characteristic of the celebration.
Mardi Gras is famously celebrated in French societies, such as New Orleans in, L.a. Elaborate Mardi Gras celebrations are also held in Haiti every year.
“In Haiti, there is a big Carnaval celebration in the capital, with floats and bands,” Belizaire said. “No matter what social class, people celebrate it.”
The capital is Port-au-Prince, which was destroyed in the January earthquake in January. All proceeds from Carnaval ticket sales this year benefited Partners in Health’s Haiti relief.
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