Saturday 2 February 2008

CARNEVALE DE VENEZIA

'Carnevale de Venezia' is one of the oldest and most celebrated festivity here in Venice Italy. An internationally known event highlighted by masquerades where exquisite masks and costumes are worn in display by tourists and locals alike. The celebration starts on the Friday two weeks before Ash Wednesday up until Tuesday (known as Martedi Grasso) which specific dates varies in step with the Easter. For this year, Canival 2008 is from January 25 to February 5 and Carnival 2009 is from February 13 to 24. Showcases of the said dressing up as well as programs in lined with the event are held mostly at the Piazza San Marco .



This yearly event evolved from the religious practice of fasting for Lent that could be traced back during the 14th Century. "Farewell, meat!" ('carnival' in Latin) was the original concept of this merriment. Before Ash Wednesday and the start for the people to fast - meat, butter and eggs are all to be consumed. This religious practice became an excuse for parties and encouraged pagan activities. Then the Catholic church injecting religion, allowed an equally period of celebration from Twelfth Night until the midnight of Shrove Tuesday.

Today's modern Carnevale having the "Sensation: 6 sense for 6 sestieri(districts)", as the theme this year, had Rapper Coolio for the IL VOLO DELL'ANGELO, or the The flight of the Angel from the bell tower of the 'basilica' in San Marco. Instead of the usual Thursday before lent as the day for the VOLO(flight), it was anticipated last Sunday, 27th of January.


Private Gala dinners, grand ball, poetry reading and theater plays are also organized by different organizations making this month as the start of business establishments to pick up from the slow input during the winter. Portale di Venezia has the calendar of events HERE:



"Mardi(Martedi) di grasso"(Tuesday of fats) is the conclusion of the 2 weeks 'Carnevale'. Its a day of fat foods such as pork, sausages and the famous 'fritelli'(fried dough with raisins, nuts and cream(optional) sprinkled with confectionary sugar). This day at San Marco Square, the'liston' or obligatory walk is the last time to show off the best masks. It is also the wildest and happiest of the whole carnival period where in greatest acts of lunacy are saved for this day. Sometimes it is inadvisable to bring the kids to this closing event, the crowd could get wild taking advantage of their last day of freedom. An enormous effigy wearing mask is also burned at the Square and people will chant - "It's going, it's going, the carnival is going"....

8 comments:

Anonymous

Since December, been sick, cured, went on vacation, came back and sick again with the Flu. Been reading your blogs also but couldn't comment as either I'm on the road or someone else's home during my absence.
Great to see your kids growing up and soon will be fluent in Italian.
Soon you'll notice that you're getting old when your kids start giving you advice. Hate it when my two kids does to that to me and TruPink. It goes with the territory I guess, hehe....
Just a reminder, to give us an updated version of your Lolo's story. It's been a while you know.
Are you far from Rome (The Vatican), four of my Italian friends(these are their last names Mancuso, Palazzo, Benazzo and Webb, his mom is Italian) constantly remind me to visit the place. I will one of these days.
Cheers to your family and goodhealth as well.

Layad

Very interesting naman ung history ng Carnival ninyo at talagang pinagtatrabahuhan ung masks at costumes.

Bakit si Lukie at Dylan walang masks? Hehehe...

raqgold

i would love to join you there, too. was in venezia last 2001 and i want to go back esp during the karnabal, ahahah :D

lovelyn

Cioa Trublue,

So good to hear from you. Its been a while and I was right why you weren't around. Either you're sick or in vacation. Hope you're ok now.

My eldest and I just had a flu too. Now, baby Dylan is the patient and its already midnight here, we're still awake.

Thanks for reminding me of my Lolo's Story.

Rome is 4.5 to 5 hours away from here(by train. It would be great if you'll come and see Italy. Spring (May) and early weeks of June would be the best time to do it.
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Ciao Layad,

I haven't even wrote all the banning, accidents and other trivias of this carnevale. Lots I've missed and I'm sure you'll find it more interesting hehehe...

Lukie didn't want to dress up. Even at their school carnevale party, he didn't let the teacher paint his face. Plus everyone's having a flu and we can't also those stand the crowds of tourists and other participants.
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Ciao Raggold,

If you'll be here for Carnevale, ako rin mag cocostume and we'll go parade at San Marco.

Anonymous

Hi, Lovelyn. Thank you for sharing this with us. I think it will be a grand experience to be in the middle of all that insanity, at least, for once. :D I didn't know that the event takes up an entire fortnight! You'd think the celebrants will be too tired to go wild toward the end. lol

It's interesting how pagan and church celebrations are one and the same in so many respects, huh?

lovelyn

Ciao Hannah,

They're up till it lasts. Be posting soon why is it so. Still collecting my thoughts jumbled by this flu.

Thanks for the visit.

Anonymous

ang ganda ever! nakakatuwa! taob yata ang santacruzan ko nito! hahaha! NI-TAG ME YOU! hahaha! DALIII!!!

lovelyn

Ciao Reyz,

I just got from your site. Kinda scary for me to do the tag(kunwari pa hahaha, feel naman), baka lalong ala ng magbabasa sa blog ko hahaha.

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