Partyin’ on a Tuesday

As some of you may know, this Tuesday, March 5th, is Mardi Gras (or you could be like me and knew it was sometime soon but didn’t realize just how soon). In the United States, we associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, purple, green, and gold colors, beads, and a massive parade full of unique traditions. For a deeper understanding of what exactly Mardi Gras is I turned to google to learn some more. Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday). I also learned that Mardi Gras is also celebrated in different places around the world.

So, I was curious what Mardi Gras might look like in Italy, and what I found out was quite interesting. Mardi Gras, or Carnevale in Italy has roots in pagan festivals and traditions and, as is often the case with traditional festivals, it was adapted to fit into the Catholic rituals. Although Carnevale is actually one date, in Venice and elsewhere in Italy the celebrations and parties may begin a couple weeks before. Italy has many Carnevale celebrations , but Venice, Viareggio, and Cento hold the biggest and most elaborate festivals.

Masks, maschere, are an important part of the Carnevale festival and are sold year-round at many shops in Venice, ranging from cheap versions to elaborate and expensive ones. People also wear elaborate costumes for the festival and there are costume or masquerade balls, both private and public. Although the spirit and the tradition of these festivities are very different, Italians celebrate Carnevale just as Americans celebrate Halloween: they dress up.  Everybody dresses up and children love it. There is no “trick or treat” and horror theme, however. The focus is on having fun dressed as something or somebody else. Elementary schools and kindergartens usually cease the typical daily lessons and allow the children to enjoy a day-long party on school premises.

I was also curious about what some of the common cuisine is during this celebration. The typical sweets of Carnevale are the castagnole or the frappe, similar to doughnuts and pastries, both are deep fried and very tasty.

Another common food eaten during Carnevale is Chiacchiere, or Mardi Gras fritters. They are a crispy treat eaten throughout Italy during this time of celebration.

Overall, I found it to be very interesting to look at how another culture celebrates a holiday most people in the US associate with the uniqueness that occurs in New Orleans. I would definitely love to go see this fun-looking and unique celebration first hand one day!