France, more than any other country, has preserved the ideals that the Roman empire instilled on its citizens. Among these is the ritual of a slow shared meal enjoyed with wine. In the 1990's this practice became known as the French Paradox and has led to an unprecedented elevation of wine likely not known since the days when Dionysos, the god of wine was worshiped extravagantly in the Greek Carnival tradition throughout the soon to be conquered Roman Mediterranean.

Beauty stills reigns in the art of French living and while the debate between the merits of classicism versus contemporary are here it seems less relevant among the effortless pursuit of beauty in small, everyday acts as well as a public realm where the details show easy refinement and inherent skill in creating uplifting beauty.

The Carnaval of the French elite, carried abroad to the slave colonies, inspired the grand costumes of the New World. There is little of this grand costume tradition to be found today although there are a number of growing Venetian Carnavals including one in Paris. The multicultural Carnaval traditions of immigrants and their local friends are important annual traditions in many cities. There is surprisingly less internet use here than you'd imagine.

Carnaval.com supports linking to all official Carnival web sites and gives special support to official Carnaval bodies. The most important of these the the Federation of European Carnival Cities or the FECC who every year since 1980 have sponsored a World Carnaval City Congress. In 2008, for the first time ever, the Congress was sponsored by a French city, Ploermel. Ploermel's Carnaval is set at the edge of Merlin's forest which holds the most potent set of myths and stories France has contributed to global culture.

 Nice on the Cote dAzur is the largest Carnaval in France. Dunkerque is the wildest and widest Carnaval season. Nantes is up and coming and may be 2nd largest Carnaval in France. Paris has the most Carnavals, but none have recaptured the stature of the Carnaval du Paris of the early 20th century.
In 2008, Ploermel Carnaval [founded 1924] became the first Carnaval in France to host the FECC International Carnival City Congress. Ploermel in the Morbihan district of culturally distinct Brittany peninsula is famous as the City at the crossroad's to the Merlin's enchanted forest where the most powerful myths and legends of France still live on.

Annecy	Leuc		Ploermel
Argenteuil	Lille	Nantes	Provins
Bailleul	Limoux	Nice	Remiremont
Biarnes	Lorient		Rennes
Cote dAzur	Lyon	Paris	Sergines
Dunkerque	Marseille