The Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is one of the most romantic and traditional festivals in Europe. It is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy, that takes place for 10 days in February before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which is the period of forty days before Easter. During the carnival, pageants of people wearing colorful masks and costumes fill not only the St. Mark's Square, the central square of Venice, but also every street in Venice. Moreover, many various events are held to attract people including masquerade. The Carnival of Venice is enjoyed by men and women of all ages from all over the world.
The Carnival of Venice started as a celebration of a victory of the "Repubblica della Serenissima", Venice's previous name, against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico in 1162. In the honor of this victory, people went to the streets dressed in their finest costumes, dancing and singing. Apparently this festival started on that period and became official in the renaissance. There was a long absence afterward but it returned to be held by the Italian government who decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice. In fact, this magnificent party became a tradition that endured for almost thousand years and today approximately 3 million visitors come to Venice each day for the carnival.
Throughout the carnival lots of events are prepared for residents and tourists. The main and opening event of the carnival is 'Festa Delle Maries'. This event is to celebrate the day when 12 young brides were released after they were kidnapped by pirates during the wedding ceremony in 948 A.D. Therefore, 12 most beautiful women in Venice are chosen in the event. The masquerade, or the masked ball, is the highlight of the carnival. People wearing gorgeous masks and fancy costumes dance to orchestra music and enjoy other various events like circus, aerial acrobatics, and folk games. After the masquerade is over, one of the most important events is held in St. Mark's Square. It is the contest for the best mask, placed at the last weekend of the carnival. A jury of costume and fashion designers from different countries vote for the most beautiful mask.
There are many lively activities that people can't miss in Venice Carnival. Crowds are entertained with songs and music by street-artists and singers all day. During the day, parades of typical Venetian masks and fabulous eighteenth-century costumes and fascinating concerts are held. Also, the parades continue in gondolas to delight the tourists. In the evening, street musicians give a free public performance and people dance together all night long. Moreover, from noon to evening the festival offers samples of Venice food to give tourists a chance to taste it. Frittelle, biscuits with salt and nuts, and galani, biscuits that look like an alphabet S with iced salt and vanilla, are sold in stores only during the carnival. Exotic animals, ropewalkers, and jugglers are another interesting spectacle not to be missed.
Every year, in February, Venice becomes one glorious party. Costumes made of brocade, silk, gold, and feather and colorful Venetian masks are attractive enough to draw people's attention. The Venice Carnival became a big world festival that everyone can enjoy and it is a perfect time to visit this ancient, mysterious, and beautiful town of Venice. If you are planning to go to Italy, make sure to visit Venice in February and enjoy this fantastic festival.
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The Carnival of Venice is one of the most romantic and traditional festivals in Europe. It is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy, that takes place for 10 days in February before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which is the period of forty days before Easter. During the carnival, pageants of people wearing colorful masks and costumes fill not only the St. Mark’s Square, the central square of Venice, but also every street in Venice. Moreover, many various events are held to attract people. The Carnival of Venice is enjoyed by men and women of all ages from all over the world.
The Carnival of Venice started as a celebration of a victory of the “Repubblica della Serenissima”, Venice’s previous name, against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico in 1162. In the honor of this victory, people went to the streets dressed in their finest costumes, dancing and singing. Apparently this festival started on that period and became official in the Renaissance. There was a long absence afterward but it returned to be held by the Italian government who decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice. In fact, this magnificent party became a tradition that endured for almost thousand years and today approximately 3 million visitors come to Venice each day for it.
Throughout the carnival lots of events are prepared for residents and tourists. The main and opening event of the carnival is ‘Festa Delle Maries’. This event is to celebrate the day when 12 young brides were released after they were kidnapped by pirates during the wedding ceremony in 948 A.D. Therefore, 12 most beautiful women in Venice are chosen in the event. The masquerade, or the masked ball, is the highlight of the carnival. People wearing gorgeous masks and fancy costumes dance to orchestra music and enjoy various events such as circus, aerial acrobatics, and folk games. After the masquerade is over, the most important event is held in St. Mark’s Square. It’s the contest for the best mask, placed at the last weekend of the carnival. A jury of costume and fashion designers from different countries vote for the most beautiful mask.
There are many lively activities that people can’t miss in Venice Carnival. Crowds are entertained with songs and music by street-artists and singers all day. During the daytime, parades of typical Venetian masks and fabulous eighteenth-century costumes and fascinating concerts are held. The parades continue in gondolas to delight the tourists. In the evening, street musicians give a free public performance and people dance together all night long. Moreover, from noon to evening the festival offers samples of Venice food to give tourists a chance to taste them. Frittelle, biscuits with salt and nuts, and galani, biscuits that look like an alphabet S with iced salt and vanilla, are sold in stores only during the carnival. Exotic animals, ropewalkers, and jugglers are another interesting spectacle not to be missed.
Every year, in February, Venice becomes one glorious party. Costumes made of brocade, silk, gold, and feather and colorful Venetian masks are attractive enough to draw people’s attention. The Venice Carnival became a big world festival that everyone can enjoy and it is a perfect time to visit this ancient, mysterious, and beautiful town of Venice. If you are planning to go to Italy, make sure to visit Venice in February and have fun in this fantastic festival.