Tomorrow is the last day of this year's Carnival in Venice as Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, February 6th. Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter, a time of fasting and prayer. The word carnival comes from "Carne Vale!" which means "Goodbye, meat." In fact, in centuries past, no meat, eggs, or butter were eaten during Lent. Traditionally, the days before the fast began were days of feasting, dancing, and general license and merriment.
There are differing opinions about just when Carnival started in Venice, but a 1268 document specifically mentions carnival and masks. The most popular masks have always been the faces of Commedia dell'Arte characters like the Harlequin, Pantalone, Pucinella, and of course, the Doctor. (You can read more about the masks and costumes at Carnevale!)
I have always found the
Plague Doctor mask with its long pointy beak to be quite terrifying. Doctors actually wore masks like these during outbreaks of the plague. They stuffed cloths soaked in vinegar in the long nose and believed that this protected them from the dread disease. They used a stick to touch the victims, also in the desperate hope that this would prevent contagion.
Today, people wear all kinds of fanciful costumes as well as the traditional ones. The city sponsors a series of concerts and performances in every neighborhood-- some free, some quite expensive. However, many Venetians see carnival as a good time to get out of town. The city is overrun with tourists taking photos, revelers in various stages of inebriation, and debris and garbage fill the Piazza San Marco and the surrounding streets.
I love the idea of carnival and its history, but I have no desire to join the crowd in the Piazza with its big stage at one end and a huge screen playing Benetton and Coca-Cola ads at the other. It might be fun to dress up and attend one of the lavish private balls, but I think I would need a magic fairy godmother to conjure up an invitation! Fortunately, I love Venice in the much more tranquil spring and summer when we visit with Time of Your Life Tours.
You can see photos and learn about this year's festivities and much more at Venice Carnival.
