Carnevales, Karneval, Mardi Gras Celebrated at UNA

Feb. 16, 2026

Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama Department of Foreign Languages is celebrating this week with a spate of events set for 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. tomorrow in the atrium of the Guillot University Center.

“This combined Mardi Gras, Karneval, and Carnevales celebration is a great way for students and the community to experience a part of culture shared by several different languages and countries,” said Dr. Rebecca Linam, a Lecturer in German. “By learning more about other cultures, they better understand their own. This global awareness is crucial for intercultural competence, which is so necessary in today’s global society.”

Dr. Linam said attendees can enjoy a taste of king cake, which is a traditional Mardi Gras treat, while learning about other Francophone Mardi Gras traditions. Attendees can also enjoy German Karneval customs and experience Spanish-language Carnevales through cultural displays, snacks, trivia, and interactive activities. Free t-shirts will also be available while supplies last.

Costumes are also encouraged to help get into the spirit of Mardi Gras, Karneval, and Carnevales. The event is free and open to the UNA community and the greater Shoals community.

 

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.