Venice Carnival 2011: 26th February - 8th March
Carnival is a festival held in Catholic countries and it’s a period of time (about 2 weeks) which ends the day before Ash Day. It is a feast of the Christian calendar.
The origins of Carnival are archaic. It was originally connected to agriculture cycles and to the passage from winter to spring. During this period chaos determined the world, social order was broken, every barrier was cut down. Ghosts came back to earth and mingled with living beings. Masks were used to exorcise these haunted presences. In the Catholic tradition Carnival is the season just before Lenten period.
During the forty days of Lent people should avoid parties, celebrations and rich food. On the contrary, in the weeks before Lent people used to eat and drink a lot and organized festivals and processions. It seems that the word “Carnevale” comes from the Latin “carnem levare” (to remove meat) and it used to indicate the banquet that was organized on the last day of Carnival (Fat Tuesday-Mardi Gras) before the period of abstinence from food (Lent).
The origin of the carnival in Venice dates back to the XIII century. The institution of this feast was promoted by the government of the Venetian Republic in order to give a period of freedom, amusement and festivities to their citizens. Wearing masks (an important feature in the Venetian carnival also today) and costumes social barriers were broken and there was an equalization of social classes. All transgressions were allowed. The celebration of Carnival finished with the end of the Republic but was re-established during the 1970s and is, nowadays, an important tourist attraction in fact the Venetian Carnival is one of the best-known celebrations today.
Masks parades and masks competitions, shows, entertainments, old popular games, jugglers, private and public feasts, dance and live in Saint Mark’s square and a lot more this year...
2011 edition: Da Senso a Sissi - The city of women
Senso is the title of a famous film by Luchino Visconti shot in Venice in 1954. Princess Sissi is a famous icon of XIX century. This year the Venetian Carnival will be dedicated to the XIX century and to its famous heroines. It will celebrate the 150 years since the Reunification of Italy (1861) and it will also celebrate women as “fat Tuesday” (Mardi Gras), last day of Carnival, will coincide this year with March 8th, the Women’s Day.
For information about the program check on the official web site www.carnevale.venezia.it
