Celebrating Carnevale

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By: Effetto Italy On: February 1, 2021 In: Italian Culture

In the weeks leading up to the restrictions of Lent and the more sacred rituals of Easter, people in areas all over the world come together for one last, frenetic hurrah. Like those in places like France, New Orleans, and Rio, Italians are no different, celebrating with parades, masquerade balls, parties, dancing, music and revelry. Carnevale officially takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, known as Fat Tuesday, but traditionally the festivities begin several weeks before. As they say: “a Carnevale ogni scherzo vale” (“anything goes at Carnival.”)

History

Rooted in pagen festivals, Carnevale was adapted to mesh with Catholic rituals. Most experts agree that the origin of Carnevale comes from the Latin words carne and vale, meaning “farewell to meat,” in anticipation of the upcoming Lent. More generally, Carnevale signified the period of transition between winter and spring.

Carnival in Venice dates to at least 1094, and masks and costumes became a feature during the early Renaissance. Pope Paul II introduced the masquerade ball in the 15th century. However, by the 18th century, festivities had started to dim and the Austrian conquest of Venice in 1798 furthered dampened them. Finally, in the 1930’s, Mussolini prohibited the celebrations outright, which lasted until 1979, when the Carnevale as we know it today was reintroduced in Venice.

Mask Up!

Mask-making has long been a tradition in Italy, allowing wearers to hide their social class, identity and sex. Mask makers, called mascareri, continue to be celebrated for their artistry in Venice – there is even a statue erected for them. Some examples of typical masks are:

Bauta – a white mask called a larva, usually accompanied with a tricorn hat and dark coat.
La Moretta – a smaller, oval mask embellished with veils and worn by women.
Gnaga – often used by men to dress up as a woman, it consists of mask with a catlike appearance.
Columbina – a half mask, decorated with jewels, gold, silver and feathers. It is held up to the face with a baton or tied by a ribbon.

Sweet Treats

Let the frying begin! Most of the sweet delicacies of Carnevale are fried in oil and utterly delicious. Some of our favorites include:

Chiacchiere di Carnivale – ribbons of fried dough doused in sugar
Graffe Napoletane – with a potato base, this donut is to die for
Bigne di S. Giuseppe – A cream puff filled with custard
Krapfen di Carnevale – another donut, filled with jam and just a good
Ravioli di Carnevale – stuffed with ricotta, sugar and cinnamon and, of course, fried.

Festivals throughout Italy

Venice may hold the most famous celebration, not only in Italy, but in the world. Merriment can be seen from Piazza di San Marco to every corner of the city. However, Venice is certainly far from the only fete. Check out some other unique festivals that take place throughout Italy:

Viareggio – Known for its enormous, paper mache floats, Viareggio is one of the largest Carnevale festivals in Italy.
Ivrea – In a small town in Piemonte, the “Battle of the Oranges” is re-enacted, which is quite literally, a battle using oranges as weapons.
Putignano – This town in Puglia offers the longest celebration – starting on December 26th and going strong for 2 months.
Acireale – Located in Sicily, the poets take the stage and improvise verses on the streets during the parades.
Cento – This festival in Ferrara in Emilia-Romanga has always been linked to the great Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, with its incredible floats.

Ciao for now,

The Effetto Italy Team