Venetian Carnival - Carnevale di Venezia

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Saturday was my flat warming, I had a couple of friends over to celebrate the Venetian festival.

Legend has it that the first carnival was in 1162, when people began to gather at San Marco Square to dance in celebration of the Venetian Republic (Serenissima Repubblica - the Serene Republic). In the 1600s it became the baroque carnival and appears to be more or less the same today (with extra bits added in). There weren't many celebrations in the early 20th century, but since 1979 the Italian government started an annual event of Venetian history and culture. Some 3 million people visit the city for the carnival and there is a prize for la maschera piu bella (the most beautiful mask).

Masks have a strange position in Venetian culture and history. People would wear them between St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) and Shrove Tuesday, and also on Ascnsion and from 5th October til Christmas. The Maskmakers (as well as raking it in) had their own guild and own laws. The masks themselves were made of a variety of materials including leather, porcelain and glass.

I've not been able to find out why Venetians wore masks so often (except my theory which is a maskmakers conspiracy), some say it was a response to 'the most rigid class hierarchies in European history'. 13th and 14th century laws made it a crime for masked people to gamble, visit convents or wear vulgar disguises, but none seem to say how or why it started.

So, to celebrate: I had some friends over, who all made their own masks (thanks for that guys!!!) and we drank a sparkling wine from the Venetian Region (Prosecco 😊 and ate Italian food.... then drank a lot of whisky ( - the Italians seem like party people, I'm sure they'd approve).

Tomorrow: National Flag Day of Turkmenistan!

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