Emanuela Marsura, a teacher in Italy, wrote about Carnival celebrations there…

After Christmas-time in Italy, the time of Carnival begins. Sometimes children dress in costumes (Zorro, Spiderman, the fairy, little red riding hood …).

In some cities and towns there are the parade floats on Sunday. The floats are decorated with large faces or animals made with colored paper mache.  People go on the floats, adults and children, wearing different costumes. There is music, dance, paper confetti and streamers.  People make playful jokes.

At school we have a costume party on the last Thursday of the Carnival.  It’s called Fat Thursday because we eat pancakes, crostoli pastries, which are deep fried, and damselfish, which, long ago, was fried in pork fat.

We dress up in costumes sewn by the kids mothers or bought.  They’re special clothes that turn into animals and characters in stories. That day, the teachers perform a show to make people laugh.  There is the parade of masks, we dance and we eat the sweets that the mothers and grandmothers prepare. That’s the school party. 

There is also rejoicing in the streets on different days.  In Venice there’s a big celebration in St. Mark’s Square. Because we live close to Venice, the school is closed for three days for a holiday. 

It is nice!

Thanks for sharing that with us Emanuela.  We hope you had a lovely Carnival season!

Mama Lisa

Photo of People in Carnival Costumes: Irisventi – Carnevale di Venezia 2010

Photo on the Float: Sailko – Wikipedia