Carnival

Every year in various places throughout the world, there are celebrations that begin 12 days after Christmas and that continue to the beginning of Lent. Lent begins exactly 47 days prior to Easter Sunday, which is of course the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. These celebrations are known as Carnival and the cities that celebrate them are known for putting on a show like you have never seen, with parties going into the late hours of the evening that generally entail activities not found at normal celebrations (If you know what I mean :>). In New Orleans, Carnival is a major event that culminates with Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday). The largest Carnival in the World is held each year in Brazil (With Rio Di Janeiro being the hot spot). Perhaps the worlds most opulent Carnival is held in Venice Italy (The extraordinary beauty of Venice is a perfect setting for such a celebration). For those that have not read the second addition of Florentine Braheem, our experience when visiting Venice in September was nothing shy of magical. To this day it is certainly the most unique and beautiful place that we have ever visited. The only way to describe Venice is to imagine what it would be like to live in a fairytale! (See previous issue for more information).

In Italy, there are two locations that host huge Carnival Celebrations (Viareggio on the coast of Tuscany and afore mentioned Venice). Viareggio is only a one hour drive from Florence and is considered more appropriate for kids, so it was our plan to make the drive to Viareggio for the celebration. Our goal was to spend the day on the seaside taking in the festivities on February 3rd. A few days before our house keeper Stella, who is from Veneto (The region that Venice is located) got a hold of us and passionately talked us into changing our plans. “Venezia is the most beautiful Carnivale in the World, you must go!” she told us.

In addition to her passion, we too wondered if we were settling for second best, so we consulted the Tyoran family. The decision was unanimous, we needed to make the three hour train ride to Venice or we just might regret missing out. The decision was made easier when a friend of ours from Veneto named Andrea decided to pay a visit to Florence for a day to spend time with us at the castle. This was the perfect opportunity to spend the day in Venice with a knowledgeable local friend (Our Italian teacher and friend Giselle introduced us to Andrea last summer when he visited California and we have since stayed in touch). The plan was set. We would take the kids out of school for the day and travel via train to the land of enchantment on the Adriatic Sea for a glimpse of what has become one of the world’s most famous celebrations and are we glad we did!

We arrived in the late morning to this foggy and somewhat brisk enchanting city (The high was 43 degrees). The fog was light compared to what it could be at this time of the year. If you have been to Venice, you know that the magic is the amazing architecture and the fact that the city itself is a compilation of over 100 little islands all connected by magical bridges (Please don’t be fooled by the bogus replication in Vegas, it simply doesn’t do it justice). We spent the day strolling and like the thousands of others in attendance, admiring the spectacle that are the dozens of people who are on display in the traditional Venetian Carnival Costumes (If you have seen the movie Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, you know these costumes well). The history behind the costume is quit interesting. It dates back to 1268 when the first Carnival was held in Venezia. Masks have always been a major feature of the Venetian carnival. Originally masks were allowed during Asencion (The weeks after Lent) and from October 5th through Christmas as well, but this was outlawed as people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise! The masks are truly amazing and the allure as to who is behind the mask is riveting! The masks are typically made of papier-mache and the attention to detail is simply stunning. The result is a city full of people walking among to observers in full costume!
Historically, masquerading was practiced by all Venetians, who sought to keep themselves anonymous. Masked prostitutes would engage in games of eroticism, and could be certain that their anonymity would be kept in check!
Those of high society, who would go to great lengths not to disclose even a clue of their sexual preferences, were able to wear masks and star in acts that back then were not only sinful but also against the law. Even gamblers wore masks to remain anonymous, so personal wins and losses would not be known by the community.
The city of Venice, because of its crowded city conditions, didn't really allow for much seclusion or solitude; therefore individual anonymity or privacy was difficult to come by. Thus, the "mask" became an outlet for many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. Today the masks are only worn during Carnival (Or perhaps at certain parties that I would love to be invited too :>) What a better way to live it up right before its time to repent during Lent!!!
Our day was spent in observation and of course over a great long lunch with wine and desert. Get your minds out of the gutter, NOT that kind of desert!