Tradition
Italy
Venice Carnival
by Rossana
The carnival origins are really ancient:
the first witness date back to 1094. It
speaks about public amusements and the
word Carnival is mentioned for the first
time.
The carnival was born to allow the people
a period of fully amusement and
festivities, while the Venetians and the
strangers went to the city to celebrate
and dance.
The anonimity given by the masks and
costums cancelled the social division and
it permitted to make fun of the
aristocracy.
Because of the widespread custom of the
carnival disguises, it was born
spontaneously and it developed giant
masks and costumes commerce in
Venice.
The most important days are “Martedi
and Giovedi grasso” (“fat tuesday and
thursday”).