Editing Carnival (section)

====Malta====
{{Main|Maltese Carnival}}
[[File:Carnival in Valletta - Trucks in Street of Valletta.jpg|thumb|Carnival procession in [[Valletta]], Malta]]
[[File:Carnival in Valletta.jpg|thumb|left|Carnival in Valletta, Malta]]

Carnival in [[Malta]] (Maltese: ''il-Karnival ta' Malta'') was introduced to the islands by [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Master]] [[Piero de Ponte]] in 1535. It is held during the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, and typically includes masked balls, fancy dresses, and grotesque mask competitions, lavish late-night parties, a colourful, ticker-tape parade of allegorical [[float (parade)|floats]] presided over by King Carnival (Maltese: ''ir-Re tal-Karnival''), marching bands, and costumed revellers.<ref name=":3">Cremona, Vicki Ann. Carnival and Power: Play and Politics in a Crown Colony. Germany, Springer International Publishing, 2018. Page 89.</ref>

The largest celebration takes place in and around the capital city of [[Valletta]] and [[Floriana]]; several more "spontaneous" Carnivals take place in more remote areas. The [[Nadur Carnival]] is notable for its darker themes. In 2005, the Nadur Carnival hosted the largest-ever gathering of international Carnival organizers for the [[Federation of European Carnival Cities|FECC]]'s global summit.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Traditional dances include the ''parata'', a lighthearted re-enactment of the 1565 victory of the [[Knights Hospitaller]] over the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]], and an 18th-century court dance known as ''il-Maltija''.<ref name=":3" /> Carnival food includes ''perlini'' (multi-coloured, sugar-coated almonds) and the ''prinjolata'', which is a towering assembly of [[sponge cake]], biscuits, almonds, and citrus fruits, topped with cream and pine nuts.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}