I-Carnival, omunye wemicimbi ethandwa futhi ehlonishwa kakhulu emasikweni amaningi, isineminyaka eminingi ikhona. Umsuka wayo usekelwe emikhosini yasendulo eye yashintsha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kanye nomthelela wamasiko ahlukahlukene.
Izimpande ze-carnival zitholakala emikhosini yasendulo yamaRoma yeSaturnalia, umkhosi kaSaturn, uNkulunkulu Wokuhlwanyela Nokuvuna. Bekuwumcimbi ogujwa minyaka yonke maphakathi noZibandlela owathatha izinsuku eziyisikhombisa onemisebenzi efana namadili omphakathi kanye nemikhosi yesitayela se-carnival. Ukusetshenziswa kwezifihla-buso nezingubo zikanokusho kwenzeka ngosuku lokugcina lwemikhosi yeSaturnalia.
Kusukela eRoma, lo mkhosi wasakazekela esifundeni saseMedithera futhi kamuva wamukelwa iSonto LamaKatolika. ISonto liguqule lo mkhosi futhi lawuqamba kabusha ngokuthi i-Carnival ukuze liwuxhumanise nezinkolelo zobuKristu zamaKatolika amaningi. Lo mkhosi waba yindlela yokulungiselela isikhathi sokuzila nokuzihlola ngesikhathi seLent, umcimbi wamaKhatholika lapho abantu bezilungiselela khona ngokomoya ngaphambi kwePhasika.
Ngekhulu le-15, udwendwe lwe-Carnival seludlule ezinguqukweni eziningana, okuhlanganisa uhla olubanzi lwezingubo zokugqoka namamaski, kanye nokwengezwa kwezigubhu nomculo. Emazweni amaningi anjengeBrazil neTrinidad, iCarnival ibiwumthombo wobunikazi bamasiko nobuzwe.
ERussia, phakathi nokubusa kwamaSoviet, yonke imisebenzi yenkolo yayilinganiselwe futhi iChristian Lent, Carnival, neMaslenitsa (inguqulo yesiRashiya yeCarnival) yavalwa. Ngemva kokuhlakazwa kweSoviet Union ngo-1991, iMaslenitsa neminye imikhosi yenkolo yabuyiselwa futhi iCarnival yaphinde yathola amasiko namasiko ayo amadala.
Namuhla, i-Carnival igujwa ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, kusukela eNingizimu Melika kuya eYurophu, e-Afrika naseCaribbean. Izifihla-buso, imvunulo, izigubhu, amaphathi, nama-parade kusalokhu kuyingxenye yemikhosi yokugubha i-Carnival, umcimbi onomlando ojulile nezimpande eziqhubekayo ukudlula iminyaka.
