My friend Kate and I went to Venezia for the day on Saturday to check out the Carnevale festivities (unfortunately it was while Niraj had 3 Saturday classes so he had to miss out). It can almost be thought of as Mardi Gras and Halloween all rolled into one, and the costumes are spectacular! See for yourself in these pictures.
We spent the day walking around the city, and every time we turned a corner we would see another breathtaking costume. The Venetians (or whoever they were...) dressed up would gladly stop and pose for pictures, probably happy to show off their masks, make-up, and stunning costumes. There were adults and children of all ages with costumes ranging from colonial-type period outfits, story book characters, animals, and other various colorful figures. A lot of the costumes had almost a dark, mischievous, and almost scandalous side to them which made me wonder what the origins of this festival really are...
In Piazza San Marco there were multiple stages set up with various performances throughout the day. We watched one show near the cuckoo clock which was again a bit twisted and dark. Various men in plastic-looking costumes and expressive face paint came out of the clock as if they were figurines built into the clock. They then proceeded to mime out various skits, yet all the skits seemed to end with them whacking each other on the head with a large club or playing some sort of evil trick! Again, makes you wonder what the real origins of this festival are...
But the masks, oh the masks! I definitely have an obsession with masks and the idea of masquerades, and I have always loved seeing the intricate, colorful, playful masks in the shop windows each time I have been in Venice. Yet it was amazing and a whole new adventure to see them all come alive on the streets on Saturday! Kate and I had a ball people watching, costume watching, and just soaking in the festivities.
All in all, definitely one of the coolest things I have done in Italy so far. I love Halloween and dressing up, and this took it to a whole other level.
Funny thing is, I got back that night with news from Niraj that there was a last minute "Under The Sea" party being thrown by a group of students. So, with the spirit of costumes still in my veins, I had to throw together something for us to wear. After a burst of inspiration, we decided to go as Pi Patel and his Bengal Tiger from the Book Life of Pi. Get it? Ha, ha... clever I know. Here are our "genius" costumes. It was a random night, but we had a good time hanging out with seaweed, starfish, penguins, and other under the sea creatures.
So, that's probably all the costume talk for now, but I'll probably be dreaming of masks and carnevale creatures for some time to come...
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