The Carnival of Awussu, or in French carnaval d'Aoussou, is an annual festive and cultural event that unfolds each 24th of July in Sousse,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. It's a parade of symbolic chariots, fanfares and folk groups from Tunisia and elsewhere which takes place near the beach of Boujaafar, at the eve of the beginning of Awussu'' (The word designating the

heat wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

of the month of August according to the Berber calendar). Originally it was a Pagan feast (

Neptunalia The Neptunalia was an obscure archaic two-day festival in honor of Neptune as god of waters, celebrated at Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map ...

) celabrating the god of the seas, Neptune in the Roman province of Africa, and might even go back to

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n times : the appellation Awussu is a possible deformation of Oceanus. The cult transformed as time unfold and lost all religious connotations. In the modern era, prior to the

Tunisian revolution The Tunisian Revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El ...

, the festival was used for political propaganda. In 2014, it was canceled for organizational and financial reasons, but celebrations of the festival resumed in 2015.« Sousse : le Festival d'Aoussou de retour après 4 ans ! », ''Tekiano'', 27 juillet 2015
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References

{{Carnival-stub Festivals in Tunisia July observances Parades in Africa Summer events in Tunisia