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FALL 2020 Italian American Digest
Carnevale & Mardi Gras'
Italian Connection
By Enrico Villamaino
Mardi Gras is an indelible part
of New Orleans’ identity. Did
you know that our Mardis Gras
is influenced by the Carnevale
festival in Italy?
Carnevale
takes place
in Italy in
the weeks
leading up
to Easter.
Carnevale
is the big
final party
before Ash
Wednesday,
the
restrictions
of Lent,
and the
more pious
observances of Easter.
Carnevale has its roots to pagan
festivals and, like many other
pagan rituals, it was adapted
to fit into the Catholic rituals.
Carnevale is actually one date,
Martedi Grasso or Fat Tuesday,
the day before Ash Wednesday.
However, in Venice and elsewhere
in Italy, the celebrations and
parties may begin weeks before.
The weekend before Fat Tuesday
is usually the most packed with
events and parties. Masks, or
maschere, are an important part
of the Carnevale festival and are
sold year-round at many shops
in Venice, ranging from cheap
versions to expensive ones. People
also wear elaborate costumes
for the festival and there are
masquerade balls, both in private
and public.
Italy celebrates Carnevale with
a huge winter
festival marked
by parades,
masquerade
balls,
entertainment,
music, and
parties. Children
throw confetti at
each other, and
sometimes flour,
oranges, and raw
eggs!
Italy has
many Carnevale
celebrations,
but Venice, Viareggio, and
Cento, a small town in the
Emilia-Romagna region, hold
the biggest festivals. Many other
Italian towns also hold Carnevale
festivals, some with very unusual
events and influences. If you are
planning a trip to Italy at this
time, you should check the dates
for Carnevale as it varies from year
to year.
Mischief and pranks are
common during Carnevale in
Italy, hence the saying "Carnevale
ogni scherzo vale" which means
"anything goes at Carnevale.”