Fête du Citron () is a carnival event organised by the tourist office of the city of Menton, France, and held every year at the end of winter. It is also sometimes called Carnaval de Menton (Carnival of Menton).
The festival, held every year in mid-February, celebrates the annual production of specialty lemons and other citrus fruit in Menton. All of the floats and sculptures present at the carnival are created from lemons and oranges. Fête du Citron has been recognised by the Ministry of Culture of France, and it was entered in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2019.
History
In 1875, hoteliers proposed to the municipality to create a carnival parade to enliven the city in winter. As early as 1876, the event attracted locals and wealthy winter visitors alike. At the time, it was fashionable for the wealthy to come and spend the winter months in the mild climate of the French Riviera. Kings, princes, and artists flocked to palaces in the city or had villas built there. The 1882 edition of the carnival was notably attended by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and it culminated with a fireworks display over Garavan Bay. The Carnival of Menton bears some similarities to its cousin from neighbouring Nice: a parade of large heads, confetti streams, flower battles, Mardi Gras celebration, and finally, the burning in effigy of the "Majesty of the Carnival". The feasts which surround the celebration mark the period before Lent.
Lemon Festival
In 1928, Menton was the main producer of lemons on the European continent. A hotelier had the idea of organizing a private exhibition of flowers and citrus fruits in the gardens of the Riviera Hotel. The event's success was such that the following year, the municipality took up the idea on its own. The name "Fête du Citron" was born in 1934. The Lemon Festival combines traditional carnival events with a celebration of Menton's reputation as Europe's lemon capital. Today, Menton is not known for the quantity of lemons it produces but rather their quality, as they are of a specialty kind sought after by chefs from across the region. The celebration features elaborate themed floats whose structures are covered in citrus fruit, primarily lemons and oranges, a large portion of which is imported from Spain every year. At the end of the event, the fruits are sold at low prices. Each year since 1959, a different theme is chosen for the festival.
Fête du Citron is the second largest public winter event on the French Riviera after the Nice Carnival.
The celebration did not take place during the war years between 1940 and 1946, in 1991 due to the Gulf War, and in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous themes 2026 92nd Wonders of life 14 Feb to 1 Mar2025 91st Journey(s) to the stars 15 Feb to 2 Mar2024 90th The Olympics from antiquity to the present day 17 Feb to 3 Mar2023 89th Rock and opera 11 to 26 Feb2022 88th Operas and theater 12 to 27 Feb2020 87th World festivals 15 Feb to 3 Mar2019 86th Fantastic worlds 16 Feb to 3 Mar2018 85th Bollywood 17 Feb to 4 Mar2017 84th Broadway 11 Feb to 1 Mar2016 83rd Cinecittà 13 Feb to 2 Mar2015 82nd The tribulations of a lemon in China 14 Feb to 4 Mar2014 81st 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 15 Feb to 5 Mar2013 80th Around the World in 80 Days 16 Feb to 6 Mar2012 79th Regions of France 17 Feb to 7 Mar2011 78th The Great civilizations 18 Feb to 9 Mar2010 77th Menton creates cinema 12 Feb to 3 Mar2009 76th Music of the world 13 Feb to 4 Mar2008 75th Islands of the world 16 Feb to 5 Mar2007 74th Menton invites carnivals of the world – guest of honour: India 17 Feb to 7 Mar2006 73rd Menton invites carnivals of the world – guest of honour: Brazil 2005 72nd Long live Spain 2004 71st Walt Disney Studio Park 2003 70th Alice in Wonderland 2002 69th Pinocchio 31 Jan to 17 Feb2001 68th Tales of Mother Goose 8 to 27 Feb2000 67th La Fontaine's Fables 11 to 27 Feb1999 66th Lucky Luke in Menton 1998 65th Tintin in the land of lemons 1997 64th Menton-Monaco "A story of princes" 1996 63rd Asterix in the land of lemons 1995 62nd Disneyland in the land of lemons 1994 61st Marine fairies 1993 60th Celebrating Europe 1992 59th The gallant holidays 1991 58th The year of Mozart 1990 57th Myths and legends of the Mediterranean 1989 56th If I knew the history of France 1988 55th Wonders of the world 1987 54th Love and passion 1986 53rd Stories and legends 1985 52nd Cinema 1984 51st Lemons without borders 1983 50th The lemon-gold wedding 1982 49th Jules Verne 1981 48th Provence 1980 47th No more waste 1979 46th Circus 1978 45th A walk through the history of Menton 1977 44th Lemon in all sauces 1976 43rd Lemon makes the fair 1975 42nd The Golden Fruit Congress has fun 1974 41st Lemon and Chinese 1973 40th Trip to the Moon 1972 39th What a program 1971 38th The lemon and the sea 1970 37th Music 1969 36th The lemon king of the journey 1968 35th The lucky charm 1967 34th Signs of the zodiac 1966 33rd The 4 seasons 1965 32nd Orange and gold waterfalls 1964 31st The yé-yé orchestras 1963 30th The lemon through the ages 1962 29th Love 1961 28th Orange and gold symphony 1960 27th The small world of our countryside 1959 26th Flowers
References
External links
City of Menton website