It’s carnival time! What’s your pick?

Nice, on the French Riviera, kicked off this year’s global carnival season Saturday, February 11, along with Venice, Italy, which brought the Cannaregio canal to life with an aquatic show. In this vein, let’s look at some of the world’s best carnivals for slipping into costume.

VENICE, ITALY

To experience the Venice carnival, step out in one of the famous masks for which the carnival is renowned (although there’s no obligation!). Private lessons held in the Italian city teach the Venetian art of paper mache maskmaking. Festivities culminate on the last day of the carnival, February 28. Head to Saint Mark’s Square to see the Maria of the Carnival ceremony, then watch the Flight of the Lion. This tradition involves sending a huge Venice flag sailing over Saint Mark’s Square from the bell tower above.

COLOGNE, GERMANY

There are several stages to the Cologne Carnival, including Women’s Carnival Day on February 23, Rose Monday on February 27 and Ash Wednesday on March 1. There’s no set theme to Cologne Carnival. All of the wackiest ideas are welcome, with carnivalgoers slipping into costume as anything from clowns to pirates and more.

NOTTING HILL, LONDON, UK

This falls on the UK’s Summer Bank Holiday weekend, usually the last weekend of August. This year it falls August 27 and 28. The Notting Hill Carnival is distinctly Caribbean in flavor. Some consider it Europe’s equivalent to the Rio Carnival, although the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, in Spain’s Canary Islands, is also a colourful affair.

PHOTO: PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP PHOTO: MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP