the greeks would incorporate some of these elements in the celebrations of the wine god dionysus, and the romans, never scrupling from adopting important parts of the hellenic culture, would also produce similar festivals.

with the ascension of the more austere christian church, the easter holiday became a more important event, preceded by forty days of lent - this fact and the need to fasten during the weeks leading to easter had the side effect of making the populace merge several of the previous festivals.

this created a single large season of festivities which took place in the last days before lent, which would eventually become carnival.