Venice’s annual celebration of masks, costumes and history opened Sunday with the Flight of the Angel ceremony in St. Mark’s Square.
This is a hundred years old event, and it is a public party for the Roman Catholic fasting month of Lent.
It is known as the world’s most delicious festival in the world. There are thousands of visitors and participants. They roam through Venice’s most famous canals and streets wearing the most amazing masks and costumes for a couple of weeks.
If you don’t manage to elaborate your costume there are many shops around the city to rent or to buy.
This is a very old carnival which started first time in the 11th century.
The city host parades, masked balls, concerts and fanciful dinners.
There are many events that are hosted and that you cannot miss. The Enchanted Palace Grand Ball, Carnival Grand Masquerade Ball, Fifty Shades of Casanova Grand Ball, Gran Ball Mascheranda and many more.
This year the Carnival of Venice starts in January 30 till February 9.
Masks made the Venetian Carnival unique. If you cannot identify the wearer of the mask, you do not know this social status. In this way, Venice temporarily overturned her social order.
The Venice Carnival is now world famous – it always takes place during the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Carnival, being a pre-Lent festival, means ‘farewell to meat’ and is celebrated throughout Italy.
The annual spectacle features a beauty pageant winner dressed in a Carnival costume who descends from the square’s iconic bell tower as she scatters rose petals into the adoring crowd.
This is an amazing and unusual festival that you need to experience once in a life time. Make sure you put it on you travel list, and be part of this mask parade.
