Il Carnevale is a movable holiday determined by Easter: it officially starts 70 days before Easter and reaches its peak on Martedì Grasso (46 days before Easter), the day before Mercoledì delle Ceneri (Ash Wednesday). So, Martedì Grasso is what people usually call Carnevale, unless they live in Milano, where they have Carnevale Ambrosiano, which is celebrated a week later than in the rest of Italy. Schools are generally closed one or two days, and some people take advantage of this short break to have la Settimana bianca, a week or so skiing in the mountains. But Carnevale is first and foremost, Carnival, indeed, meaning an explosion of colours, costumes, masks, parades, and parties that involve mostly children but a certain number of grown-ups as well.
Carnevale, Colori and Cultura
While everything spooky is the dominant Halloween theme, Carnevale is all about colours and joking around. The parades have sometimes specific themes, often political and tied to current affairs. The craziest in this sense is the long-running Carnevale di Viareggio. Viareggio is a popular seaside resort in the province of Lucca (northern Tuscany). The Carnival has been taking place since 1873, and its main feature is a parade of complex, very creative papier-mâché floats along the Passeggiata a mare, a main promenade. In this case, there is no official theme, but instead, the choice is left to the Tuscan people’s creativity and legendary, quaint sense of humour. Politicians, soccer players, people from showbiz, as well as international personalities—no one is safe from the satira.
Parties, parades, and people wearing costumes and masks are everywhere: there’s no town without its own celebrations. Or else, people just roam the streets partying. But we surely don’t want to dodge the elephant in the room: il Carnevale di Venezia! With its very ancient origin (dating back to 1094), its glorious history, and its glamorous present, the Carnevale di Venezia is one of the most renowned in the world and certainly the most eminent in Italy. Colourful, joyful, magnificent—how can you even match the location?—and, definitely, crowded. It’s a not-to-miss event, though it’s worth noting that it seems to attract more international visitors than local people lately. What was, until fairly recently (the Nineties), a festive yet easy-going event where locals randomly partied and had fun, is now increasingly organised, expensive, and — yes, we need to repeat it —crowded.
The Language of Carnevale
Carnevale is so much associated with joy that the term itself can be used to convey a carefree and partying time, as in la sua vita è un carnevale (their life is a carnival). The term Carnevale comes from the Latin carnem levare (to remove meat) or carne vale (farewell to meat)—to refer to the period in which people eat meat before Lent. And historically, the Carnevale symbolized the joyful chaos and temporary overturning of traditions and hierarchies before the composed, wistful time leading up to Easter. The derivative word carnevalata means pretty much the same as carnevale, but it is most often used with a pejorative nuance: la cerimonia si è trasformata in una carnevalata (the ceremony turned into something ridiculous).
Other useful terms: costume is… costume, maschera is mask, vestirsi—or travestirsi da is to dress up as, sfilata dei carri is the typical Carnival parade. The proper name of a parade float would be carro allegorico, but carro is clear enough. And then: cartapesta (literally: crushed, mashed paper) is papier-mâché, stelle filanti are streamers —seen pretty much only this time of the year—and coriandoli are confetti (being confetti one of the sweetest false friends: the Italian confetti are, indeed, sugared almond treats mostly given at weddings and other ceremonies).
And while it is virtually impossible to name all the variations of the Carnival treats, let’s be brave and name the most typical ones, or at least the ones found everywhere in the country: chiacchiere, or sfrappole, or bugie, or frappe—fried pastry ribbons dusted with powdered sugar, the very symbol of Carnevale; castagnole, deep-fried dough balls usually filled with custard; and frittelle, deep-fried dough balls. As you see, the “fried” part does not change, although chiacchiere also have an “oven” version. Just do a quick search, however, and you might be surprised to find how many names these little guys can take, and how many other Carnival treats are made all around the country.
By Claudia Quesito
Also read:
It’s Carnival Time in Menton, Nice, and Viareggio
Italian traditions that foster appreciation, family, and community
