Carnival from Rio to Venezia: show and color

Carnival is one of the most loved and celebrated holidays in the world. It often takes place in large parades and the element that distinguishes them is the masking. The Brazilian carnival in Rio de Janeiro is very famous. The first celebrations of the carnival date back to the 8th century when a banquet was organized before fasting. During this period the social order changed and hid its identity behind a mask. The beginning of the carnival period is usually set for the day after Jesus’ baptism and ends on the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. In Italy there are places where the carnival is famous, for example in Venice. In 1797 with the French occupation of Napoleon, and with the subsequent Austrian one, the very long tradition of the Venetian Carnival was interrupted for fear of rebellions and unrest on the part of the population. Only in the other centers of the Venice Lagoon, such as Burano and Murano, the Carnival celebrations continued their course, albeit to a lesser extent, retaining a certain vigor and cheerfulness. Almost two centuries later, in 1979, the centuries-old tradition of the Venice Carnival was resurrected and within a few editions it returned to trace the footsteps of the ancient event with great success. Over the years, the Carnival has often been dedicated to a basic theme to inspire oneself for the surrounding festivals and cultural events. The Carnival of Venice has thus become a large and spectacular tourist event that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Often the floats represent current affairs or political figures of the moment. Surely this year we will have some floats dedicated to Covid-19 or to the current somewhat confused and shaky political situation.

Other places also have a famous carnival, such as Viareggio, Acireale, Ivrea and many others. Carnival is a period of celebration in which young and old people can have fun: dressing up, watching the parades of the floats and throwing streamers and “confetti”. Last year, due to the pandemic, the demonstrations were abolished and the party was held subdued, where the events were not completely abolished. We hope that this year the spirit of joy and light-heartedness that characterizes one of the most colorful and festive periods of the year can return. We can’t wait to have fun again!