How they celebrate carnival abroad

The masks were (and are) based on characters from the Commedia dell’arte, the popular late‑medieval improvisational theatre. Think of archetypal figures such as the miser, the harlequin, or the rogue. Masks with long noses, worn by plague doctors for protection, were also common. But the best known is the Bauta, a mask that leaves the mouth uncovered so people can eat and drink.

Both in Venice and across Europe, the Church and heads of state grew tired of the debauchery and disruption of public order. As a result, the festival was restricted from the eighteenth century onwards. For a long time, Venetians celebrated carnival only indoors with friends and family. It was not until the 1970s that carnival was reintroduced in Venice.

The mysterious and elegant Venetian carnival we know today is therefore an invented tradition: a relatively recent custom presented as something old and traditional. The masks already existed, but the elaborate costumes are new. Moreover, the idea of social inversion—the temporary suspension of social differences—has largely disappeared from modern carnivals.

Carnival has become more commercial and increasingly focused on tourists. They are attracted in large numbers to St Mark’s Square for events such as the Volo dell’Angelo (the Flight of the Angel), during which someone descends into the square on a rope from the bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica.

Spectacular, yes—but very different from the late‑medieval custom of chasing bulls through the city during carnival, à la Pamplona. This was done, among other things, by sending hungry dogs after them. The wounded bulls were eventually beheaded. Such a bloody spectacle is not exactly compatible with today’s carnival, full of pomp and splendour.”

- Dries Lyna, assistant professor of social history of the Modern Age

Carnival in France: honoring French women in the south — “Vive la Reine!”

“If you want to celebrate carnival, you can do so in France as well, unlike in the Netherlands and Germany, even throughout the entire country. But if you want to experience French carnival at its grandest, head south to Nice. There, the carnival lasts about two weeks. This year, the 153rd edition runs from February 11 through March 1, with the theme: ‘Long live the Queen’, in French: ‘Vive la Reine!’ . Fictional heroines and famous French women are put in the spotlight. Why is it so big in Nice? Because the city has long been influenced by Italy (and thus Catholicism). Expect large, colorful floats, street performers, musicians ... and lots of tourists! Yes, many tourists flock there because this is the most famous carnival in France. Carnival is also celebrated in northern France. In cities such as Lille or Dunkirk, for example, there are parades with the Géants: giant puppets representing local heroes.”

“What is typical of the Netherlands and Germany as well is that carnival originated as a Catholic festival. Protestants do not celebrate it. This Catholic–Protestant divide is still clearly visible in the Netherlands and Germany. In those countries, carnival festivities begin on the 11th of the 11th at exactly 11:11, referring to the ‘fools’ number’ and Saint Martin. Carnival is then celebrated in the weekend before the fasting period (forty days before Easter) begins and ends on Ash Wednesday. In France, carnival is celebrated between January 6 (Epiphany) and the final carnival day, which is Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras). Carnival in France therefore ends at the same time as in the Netherlands.”

“I was born in Limburg, but I don’t have any special memories of carnival. Coincidentally, this year I’m going with my cousin to my hometown of Panningen to attend the Manslujzitting (men’s session). And of course, it starts at… 11 o’clock. The French would never do that!”

- Haike Jacobs, professor of French Language & Culture at Radboud University

Main image photo: Unsplash.