The biggest winter carnival in the world, the Carnaval de Québec (known in English as the Quebec City Winter Carnival) is a celebration held yearly in Quebec City with many activities, such as dogsled rides, night parades, snow baths, and concerts. Important symbols of the event are the ceinture fléchée, and the official mascot Bonhomme Carnaval. There also was an irregular tradition of briefly locking up in an Ice palace, or castle, those persons who did not exhibit sufficient good cheer or carnival spirit.
The first large scale carnival was held in 1894, more or less in continuation of traditional Mardi Gras festivities which had been popular everywhere in Quebec, using humbler means and involving smaller numbers of individuals. The carnaval was interrupted by World War I, the Great Depression of 1929 and World War II. It was held sporadically between 1945 and 1954. Since that last date it is a regular affair, sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and tourism organizations.
The style of the carnival has changed considerably over the last twenty years, with the emphasis gradually shifting from the election of beauty queens and spectator sports (such as special hockey games and a dangerous crossing of the Saint-Lawrence river at a time when it is filled with ice) to cultural events and participatory sports.
The carnival hosts an Ice sculpture festival which lasts about three weeks and has grown in a spectacular fashion over the last decade. It now hosts ice sculpting teams from all over the world, in a variety of competitions.
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