11512 A carnevale ogni scherzo vale

The prospect of a calm and quiet walk in the streets of Italy during the next week and the month of February: they will be full of confetti-wielding kids running through the alleys, launching water balloons and crackers...they also used to launch eggs..but that stopped for now, I hope.. Don't worry, they only want to enjoy themselves not annoying us! Carnival comes twice a year, once in February, as tradition dictates, and the second, and no longer new, is in November, for Halloween, to which Italian are getting used through the supermarket products full of pumpkins and the ads on tv. Beyond the origins of these feasts, the only important thing for kids and youngster is the opportunity to disguise themselves - go to parties, run in the roads with their faces made up...and for us? we can only take the advantage of the chiacchere made by all bakeries in Italy and enjoy to one of the many Carnivals in Italy - have a look at some of the most important ones here: Italy?s five best Carnival celebrations | Visit Italy Guides - Property - Holidays - Accommodation - Community make you choice and enjoy! and remember: a carnevale ogni scherzo vale! Cristiana

Category
Culture & Entertainment

For those in doubt about the official dates, Carnevale this year starts on Saturday 22nd January and runs until Shrove Tuesday on the 24th. Technically, it should all be over by Ash Wednesday, on the 25th, when it is traditional to confess and repent for all sins committed during the excesses of the Carnevale and receive a sign of the cross marked with ashes (hence the name) on your forehead. It was customary not to wipe that mark during the day as it meant you had done the right thing and repented. Nowadays, Carnevale may extend the festivities throughout the month of February. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and most Italians eat fish on that day and they keep on eating it every Friday until Easter. Salted cod (baccala) dishes are very popular at this time of the year.

A nice programme about the various carnivals on Rai Uno at the moment.
The weather looks beautiful all over as it is indeed here in the north east. Buona Domenica :smile:

Unbelievably less than a month's time it's The Venice Carnival from 14th - 24th February. The new official website was launched recently. Lots of wonderful events to enjoy - [url=http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/]Carnevale di Venezia - Official website - Carnevale di Venezia[/url]

"Traditionally, Venetians donned masks from Santo Stefano's feast day (26 December) up until Lent and also during official events of the Serenissima Republic; gamblers and beggars often wore masks to hide their identities."

This is part of a new article published today on Guarda! section of ITALY website.
[url=http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/veneto/carnevale-venice]Carnevale in Venice | Visit Italy Guides - Property - Holidays - Accommodation - Community[/url]

Thanks to that, I learn more and more about Italian traditions, feasts and history...
...and about language. Let me tell you what I found in the dictionary for "don"'s entries::eerr:
as a verb it is "indossare" = to put on
as a noun "sacerdote"= a priest

The funny thing is that clergy has always been unhappy with masks and feasts of carnival!
Should I put this in the Language section? :wideeyed:

Venetian Carnival masks always remind me of the film "Eyes Wide Shut" with Tom Cruise

Anyway, Cristianas post led me to Google - and to discover there are so many different types of traditional mask - but nowhere could I find the significance (if any) of what each style of mask represents.

Does anyone know?

[quote=juliancoll;109954] so many different types of traditional mask - but nowhere could I find the significance (if any) of what each style of mask represents.

Does anyone know?[/quote]

Many are from the Commedia dell'Arte and the following traditional carnevale characters:

[url=http://www.formorefun.it/carnevale/maschere_carnevale.htm]Carnevale: maschere di carnevale[/url]

Unfortunately the pictures are far from great but you may get an idea of the each characters!

Watch out for the black, knitted variety!!!:bigergrin:

Carnevale costumes for Kids at Eurospin € 14.99 best price seen so far! Plus of course all the paper confetti etc.

Thanks very much Anne. There was some info on that link - as follows.

[quote]L'uso della maschera è antichissimo e si può già ritrovare all’origine della storia degli uomini, nella caccia e soprattutto nell’ambito di riti magici e religiosi. Sacerdoti, stregoni, maghi, esorcisti così si distinguevano e rappresentavano in modo antropomorfo l’essenza divina o demoniaca.

La maschera (dall'arabo “mascharà” cioè scherno, satira) è sempre stata, fin dalla notte dei tempi, uno degli elementi caratteristici e indispensabili nel costume degli attori. Originariamente era costituita da una faccia cava dalle sembianze mostruose o grottesche, indossata per nascondere le umane fattezze e, nel corso di cerimonie religiose, per allontanare gli spiriti maligni.

In seguito, dapprima nel teatro greco, successivamente in quello romano, la maschera venne usata regolarmente dagli attori per sottolineare la personalità e il carattere del personaggio messo in scena. fino al fiorire in Italia della "Commedia dell'Arte".

Di certo le maschere carnevalesche e teatrali sono le più famose, ma forse non tutti sanno che esistono vari usi e quindi tipi di maschere.[/quote]

A nice fun event in London based around Carnevale coming up.

[IMG]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z294/sallydonaldson/screenshot_01-51.jpg[/IMG]

The famous Italian sweet cooked during Carnival has no secrets now!

You can finally prepare wonderful [URL="http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/recipes/carnival-chiacchere"]Chiacchere![/URL]

Any other suggestion about preparation or how to serve the sweet will be well accepted.
Share your cookery experiences!:yes:

Cristiana

Another name for that traditional Carnevale sweet is fritelle and you can also use grappa for the recipe.

I make these every year for my kids to take to school (in Belgium) at Carnival time. I use the pasta machine to roll out the pastry really thinly. It makes life much easier especially when making 500gr worth of frappe/chiacchiere/stracci! The name seems to vary according to where in Italy my children's class mates come from.

[quote=Annamaria;110782]I make these every year for my kids to take to school (in Belgium) at Carnival time. I use the pasta machine to roll out the pastry really thinly. It makes life much easier especially when making 500gr worth of frappe/chiacchiere/stracci! The name seems to vary according to where in Italy my children's class mates come from.[/quote]

:laugh:Next time you make Chiacchere you will hear me at your door-bell!

That's a great idea to use a pasta machine!
The first time I made Chiacchere I didn't use that.. tasty but not thin!:nah: