You will know it must be February in Italy when you suddenly find that everywhere you walk you are ankle-deep in brightly colored pieces of confetti, and are surrounded by kids dressed like princesses and Ninja Turtles....as February is the month of all the Carnevale festivities! Here's a bit about Carnevale, and what to expect!
Carnevale has its pagan roots in the fertility celebrations of the Roman cult of Saturnalia. It was adopted by Catholicism in the 15th and 16th centuries, and now marks the period before Lent. There are a few theories to how the name "Carnevale" came about. One says it comes from Latin "carnem levare", meaning "to remove meat", referring to the fasting during the period of Lent. Another theory says it comes from the Latin "Carne Vale", meaning something like "farewell to meat".
Some of the biggest and most elaborate Carnevale festivals are in Venice, Viareggio, and Cento. The festivities go on for a few weeks, with parades, people in costumes, fireworks, etc. The seaside city of Viareggio is especially known for its papier-mâché floats in its parade.
Cento, a city near Milan, is linked to the most famous Carnevale celebration in the world, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Floats are exceptionally elaborate, often with items from Brazil. The winning float in the Cento parade is actually taken to Brazil for their carnivale. 30,000 pounds of candy are thrown to spectators during the parade!
The city of Ivrea has an unusual tradition for Carnevale. They have a post-parade orange-throwing battle in the city's central square! hold some of the biggest and most elaborate Carnevale festivals while the oldest Carnevale may be in Verona. There are also some unusual Carnevale celebrations in Italy, such as Ivrea's orange-throwing carnevale.
Verona has one of the oldest Carnevale celebrations in Italy. On the day of Carnival (Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday) Verona has a parade with more than 500 floats (and some 15,000 kg of candy!)
Besides having some of the biggest Carnevale celebrations, Venice is also the home of the fancy Masks you see people wearing. 
In Oristano, Sardinia, they have a full re-enactment of a medieval jousting tournament...think Disney World's "Medieval Times"!
In northern Calabria, the city of Montalto Uffugo holds an interesting wedding parade of men wearing women's dresses. They hand out sweets and tastes of Pollino wine during the parade.
Some traditional Carnevale foods are lasagna, gnocchi, tortellini, and some fried pastries like "frittelle" and "frappe". If you're feeling the need for some culinary adventure, here's a link to a recipe and step-by-step guide on making "fritelle": http://www.annamariavolpi.com/frittelle.html
Leave a comment