Italian News

Carnevale (Carnevile) returns to Acireale tomorrow and will run through Feb. 25 animating the streets of the amazing Baroque historic center. It features lighted-up, decorated floats roaming the streets of the city and musicians, and masqueraded dancers riding on the top of dazzlingfloats carriages and dance to the music to African and Latino rhythms.

(Photo by Alessandro Grussu)

Carnevale Fun Kicks Off in Acireale

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Get ready to have some fun! As the popular Italian saying goes: “A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale,” (Any prank is accepted at Carnevale), Carnevale is a week of revelry, cheer, good food and most of all- crazy fun. Thousands of Italians swarm the streets attending the colorful carri (floats) parades, wearing costumes, playing pranks on friends and having a blast.

Carnevale is an Acireale ancient tradition dating back to the 16th century. Celebrations will begin Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. with a Holy Mass led by Acireale’s Bishop Antonino Raspanti in the city’s historic center and will run through Feb. 25.

Historians believe that the word Carnevale (Carnival) derives from the Latin word “Carne Levare” (Put meat away). It refers to the period preceding the beginning of Lent, the austere 40 days during which Roman Catholics abstain from eating meat. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, falling on Feb. 26 this year.

Despite its religious origin, Carnevale has become a pagan celebration through the centuries and in ancient times; many Carnevale-like festivals were celebrated by different cultures.

The first written record of Carnevale celebrations held in Sicily dates back to the 16th century. Sicilians used to celebrate “Carnalivari” through dance festivals. Dancers performed shows throughout the streets accompanied by drums and trumpets.

Masked revelers from different social classes used Carnevale as an excuse to mingle. The “Jardinara,” (Gardeners), “Briganti”(Bandits), “Baruni”(Barons) and “Abbati” (Abbots) were among the most popular masks. During the festivals, aristocrats and politicians were publicly mocked. Revelers also staged “battles” throwing rotten eggs and vegetables at one another which was a popular practice in the 17th century but in 1612, local authorities forbade it due to property damage and injuries to people.

By the 18th century, celebrations became less “violent” and turned into comedy plays that were performed by jokers named “Abbatazzi.” Under the authorization of the Bishop, they used to make fun of nobles or priests pretending to read jokes from a big book and taking part in prank competitions.

In 19th century, celebrations included the “Casariata,” a parade of flower-decorated carriages, named “landò,” that toured the historic center. Local nobles, paraded on the carriages wearing masks and threw colored sugar-coated almonds and coins at the crowd.

Today, people throw “lighter” confetti and foam spraying is also very popular during Carnevale.

In the 1930s, Acireale artisans started to create huge allegorical floats with papier-mâché depicting animated figures of politicians, animals and other fantastic subjects that are mounted on a mobile platform and driven in parades. Since then, Carnevale carri have become much more elaborate and spectacular.

The first big parade will be held Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. and continue on the following days: Feb. 9, 15, 19 - 25.

Besides Acireale’s Carnevale, spectacular festivities will be held in the town of Misterbianco from Feb. 16 - 25. The event is to feature “The most beautiful costumes of Sicily,” and boasts of an ancient Carnevale tradition called “A Mascara” (Carnevale Masks) and “Comari” (godmother or gossipy woman).

Mascari were humorous and funny plays, which were staged by local peasants in different areas of Misterbianco on the first Sunday of Carnevale. Four Sicilian carts were drawn up together to set up a stage and town districts competed to be the funniest show.

The Comari tradition is a social event that was celebrated on Thursday before Lent. In the afternoon, all the women from Misterbianco would meet to eat and cuttigghiari (gossip) together. In the evening, they would go out to dance in the main square wearing the “Domino” (the first Carnevale costume, which disguised their identity).

In the 1970s, the typical Carnevale masks replaced the traditional Domino. Colored floats were used to parade the streets of the city as well as competitions for the best float. People would transform their living rooms into ballrooms (“Tambureddi”) where guests could dance and enjoy Carnevale.

Today, elaborate and colorful costumes, made by local craftsmen, are at the heart of the Misterbianco festivities. There will be 800 costumes that will participate in the spectacular parades. The tradition of costumes started in 2004 and was also exported abroad as costumes paraded in Dubai, Tunisia and Malta over the years.

Costumes and floats parades will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. along Gramsci (town center). Other parades will be held on Feb. 23 and 25.

If looking to travel to the main land then Venice is the place to be for Carnevale.

Venice is known as the Italian queen of Carnevale cities and will host 18 days of Carnevale this year, with events taking place along the city’s canals and across its bridges and squares from Feb. 8 – 25. Artisans are hard at work preparing beautiful masks and floats for the annual Carnevale, whose theme is “Il Gioco, l’amore e la Follia.”

Costumed visitors can look forward to water parades, allegorical floats, masked balls and night parades, with a spectacular water procession from Punta della Dogana to Rio di Cannaregio opening this year’s program of events on Feb. 9.

Another important event, the “Festa delle Marie” pageant, will be held on Feb. 15 with a grand parade starting from Piero di Castello reaching down to Piazza S. Marco where the most beautiful of the 12 “Marias” will be crowned on Feb. 25.

The Carnevale di Venezia dates back to the 14th century, maybe earlier, and over the centuries the event was frequently forbidden under various rulers. The modern version of the Venice Carnevale, as we know it today, has taken place for the last 100 years.

For more information and detailed schedules about each event can be found at:

https://www.carnevaleacireale.it/programma-2020/

https://www.facebook.com/carnevaledimisterbianco/

https://www.carnevale.venezia.it/

Carnevale in Ancient Times

ROMANS: Ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia to honor the god Saturn and in the hope of procuring plentiful harvests. Celebrations included feasting, gift giving, drunkenness, big meals and pranks. Masked parades of merrymaking featuring young boys and girls dancing on allegorical floats were also held through the streets of the cities. It was a time when masters and slaves exchanged roles. During the festival, Romans used to burn the effigy of the “King of ancient Saturnalia.” It was a grotesque puppet that was publicly burnt at the end of the celebrations. Today, this practice is still performed in many countries. A straw puppet named the “King of Carnevale” is burnt on the evening of Mardi Gras.

GREEKS:In ancient Greece, floats were used for the yearly celebration in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine, in order to guarantee fertility and a successful breeding among the animal stock.

EGYPTIANS: Ancient Egyptians celebrated the renewal of life brought about by the yearly flooding of the Nile through a joyful festival held in the springtime.