VENICE - When in mid-January Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, announced the withdrawal of samba schools and the cancellation of the celebrations for the most famous Carnival in the world, it was immediately understood that the craziest party of the year would be was different everywhere.
To avoid gatherings and contagions, this year's carnival events are mostly events to be followed online, starting next February 6th.
In Italy every village, every valley and every city has its own Carnival party to tell and it does so through different popular customs: from the sound of the bells of the Mamuthones in Sardinia to the orange battles of Ivrea and the music of the baroque floats of Acireale and Viareggio;
from the theatricality and elegance of Venice to the ancient playful traditions of Putigliano and Fano.
Knowing these events means taking a journey into the folklore of our country, discovering ancient folk craft rites and customs.
This year it is possible to do it remotely, by connecting to the computer, where you can watch the preparation of the costumes, the workshops that create the most beautiful costumes and fashion shows, as well as the opportunity to participate in competitions for the most original masks.
Among the most popular Carnivals in Italy, the one in Venice stands out, famous for the dances in the palaces, for the flight of the Angel from the bell tower of San Marco and for the masked processions that parade along the streets and canals of the Venetian capital.
This year, in order not to lose the magic of Carnival, simply follow the party on the carnevale.venezia.it website on 6 and 7 February and then again from 11 to 16 live from the halls of Cà Vendramin Calergi, home of the Venice Casino .
The official website and the social channels of the Carnival offer everyone improvisations, interviews, curiosities, workshops, stories, TikTok videos and lots of music.
To participate in the virtual rooms of the Carnival it is only necessary to book and choose between "Kids Carnival" with workshops, performances, interactive stories and the "La Mascherina più Bella" competition;
"Teen Carnival" with disguises, tutorials, contests and meetings with famous influencers;
and "The Most Beautiful Mask", a digital contest with interviews and entertainment, dedicated to masks of all ages.
Furthermore, every day there are many curiosities about the history and traditions of the Venice Carnival, told with short videos while on social networks you can comment on your party using the hashtag # CarnevaleVenezia2021.
Even the historic festival of Ivrea with the famous "battle of the oranges" and its rich folkloric program this year is only virtual: until the end of February you can participate in the #uncarnevalediricordi contest, a social initiative through which to collect images, videos and stories lived during the past editions.
It is an unusual but necessary way to relive the moments and emotions of this unique party.
The parade of allegorical floats in Viareggio is one of the most anticipated events of the Carnival: for this year's edition, and for the first time in the entire history of almost 150 years of the event, the Tuscan city has decided to postpone the irreverent procession of gigantic papier-mâché works of art after the summer, exactly on 18 and 26 September and on 2, 3 and 9 October.
In these days, however, the mayor of Viareggio Giorgio Del Ghingaro has also hoisted the Burlamacca, the banner of the event, a symbolic gesture for all the carnival festivals in Italy.
The famous and spectacular Sartiglia di Oristano is in a reduced version, an unusual and spectacular Sardinian Carnival, which embodies the charm of the Crusades and medieval knight tournaments.
For safety reasons, only the dressing and blessing of the main rider of the "Su Componidori" equestrian joust in the garden of the Archbishopric are planned but without the participation of the public.
In this way it will be possible to preserve some traditional gestures, particularly felt in the Oristano community.
There are many other events related to Carnival organized online;
among these we point out the contest "At Carnival every pancake is worth", organized by the National Federation of Italian Wine, Oil and Flavors Roads, scheduled from 9 to 16 February.
It is a journey made of stories, videos and images, which travels through the Italian regions to discover the typical Carnival sweets, from chatter to fritters, from brighelle to damselfish.
The event takes place on the Federation's social channels (www.stradevinoitalia.it), involving restaurateurs, bakers, pastry chefs and all fans who want to share the traditions of their territory, linked to the funniest and most transgressive party.
Until February 13, the event "The days of the Bartoccio" takes place remotely, the historic Carnival of Perugia which this year celebrates 5 centuries of life on the Facebook page with competitions, stories, guided tours, videos, music and a puppet show . On February 14 from 2 pm the largest indoor Carnival in the world takes place, which combines the festival of Saluzzo and that of Rivoli, in Piedmont, with a parade from home and in which you participate by sending your masks and connecting to the site: carnevaleindoor.it Also on February 14, the Carnival of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano takes place remotely, "In mask: the fantastic animals of the Duomo". It is a guided tour to discover the animals and fantastic creatures (monkeys, mice, dogs, tigers, devils and flying dragons) that hide among the works of the Duomo, an original way to get inspired in the creation of Carnival masks. On 13 and 14 February at 3.30 pm in the medieval village of Turin, "In search of Mr. Carnival" is staged, a journey to discover the origin of Carnival for adults and children (aged 5 to 10) with a creative workshop that allows all participants to invent colored masks. For information and reservations arteintorino.com Finally, on February 16 from 6 pm the online interactive theatrical game "The Queen of the Ice" takes place, dedicated to children who are fans of Frozen with funny gags, twists and a happy ending, sung and performed live by professional actors. For information: grottadibabbonatale.it/it/frozen.
