Carnival originally began as a Catholic tradition in Italy; People donned costumes and celebrated before Lent. This festival eventually made its way to the Caribbean via Catholic Europeans who settled the area.
When combined with the African traditions of parading and music and dance, the Caribbean Carnival evolved into a unique way for revelers to express their rich culture. The immense amount of work and creativity devoted to costumes and floats--and the Carnival tradition--is evident in Brooklyn each year.