It’s Carnival, or Mardi Gras, week in Italy. And our little town, like many others, holds a traditional parade and a masked street party every year. But no Italian carnival celebration in Italy is more famous than that of Venice.
The word carnival literally means to say goodbye to the flesh. The celebration is a time of merriment before the period of Lent during which revelers assume a different identity by donning masks and costumes. And that makes them feel free to do whatever they want, even if it’s immoral. Because it’s supposedly the persona they’ve assumed that’s doing it, not them.
The history of Carnival in Italy
Carnival has long been a popular holiday here in Italy. The festival dates back to Roman times when it honored the Roman god Saturnalia. But the Church soon labeled it a “Christian” holiday and linked it to Lent.
Some early Catholic leaders condemned Carnival and its pagan practices. Pope Gregory the Great tried to make a clear distinction between Carnival and Lent. He even sent missionaries to sanctify any excesses people may have committed during Carnival.
But the people refused to give up their time of revelry and debauchery. So the church authorities eventually incorporated Carnival into their liturgical year. Despite the sexual orgies and excessive amounts of alcohol and rich food. After all, Lent was just around the corner, when they were supposed to fast and abstain.
The Venetian Carnival
The history of the Venetian Carnival is even more interesting.
The Venetians didn’t limit the wearing of masks to the Carnival. Although no one seems to know how or why the custom began, wearing masks in public was quite common. Mask-makers held a special place in society, governed by their own laws. But city laws also regulated what masked people could do. For example, they could not gamble or play certain games.
Today, Carnival and Lent seem as intertwined as grapes and their vines. Few question either Carnival’s pagan roots or its raucous and rowdy behavior. Most Italians love the celebration. Schools typically hold masquerade parties. Towns hold street parties and parades, with the confetti thrown and horns blown.
Confetti, called coriandoli here, also has a rich history. Paper was scarce and expensive. So people threw coriander seeds (coriandoli) glued to thin layers of plaster. As paper became more common, it replaced the seeds. But by then, the name coriandoli had already taken hold.
Carnival sweets: Chiacchere and Struffoli
The Italian Carnival tradition also includes sweets, such as the Chiacchere and Struffoli. The one part of Carnival that Hubby and I love!
The word chiacchere means gossip or useless chatter. And it seems to come from the fact that they’re so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. Much like gossip, where people sometimes make up all sorts of things with very few or no facts!
Struffoli have different names depending on the region. In Abruzzo they are called Cicerchiata. That’s because they’re often shaped like a circle or a ring, as the name suggests. But in my husband’s area of Salerno, they’re called Struffoli. The word struffoli is of Greek origin and means little round balls. Best of all, these delicious, honey-soaked sweets are often served at Christmas and Easter as well!
Hubby and I don’t celebrate Mardi Gras. The whole idea of hiding behind a mask to do whatever you want seems rather fraudulent to us. We’d rather deal with real people. Maskless, because we like to know who we’re dealing with. What you see is what you get.
We’ve probably all known masked people over the years. And not the Zorro type, who try to do good. They’re false friends, people who end doing harm. So the thought I’d like to leave with you is this.
Do you hide behind masks? Or are you a real person? The kind that others can trust, because you really are what you seem?
Photo credits: Masks by anncapictures via Pixabay | Carnival costume by nouveaumonde34 via Pixabay; Struffoli by nataliaaggiato via Pixabay | Chiacchiere by Clop via Wikipedia.
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