Carnevale is celebrated with parades with elaborately decorated floats In Venice. The masks became elaborate costumes that completely enveloped a person. (Photo courtesy of A.J. Valentini)
As one holiday season ends, we start preparations for another.
In Catholic tradition, Lent (Quaresima in Italian) is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. So, before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5, Christians around the world will take time to party in diverse ways.

The last chance to partake in meals centered on a meat dish gave rise to the name of the celebration of “Carnevale.” That name comes from the Latin “carnem levare,” which translates roughly to “eliminate meat.”
The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday became a day when the last feasts before the days of fast and abstinence took place. Carnevale, Carnaval or Mardis Gras (Fat Tuesday), depending on the country in which you may find yourself, is quite a thing.
The banquets and feasts grew into celebrations, including the soon-to-be-avoided meat and other reveries including parades, parties, sweet treats and masked balls. In Venice, the masks became elaborate costumes that completely enveloped a person in such a way that the class distinction between nobles, rich, the common and poor no longer were evident and allowed people to enter places in which they would not normally be seen, making it possible to celebrate with those of another social rank.
This March, St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament’s Social Ministry, in collaboration with the Italian Heritage Club of the Mohawk Valley, will host a family centered Carnevale celebration from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 1, in our gymnasium. Children should accompany adults. There will be free beverages and a chance to socialize. Traditional Carnevale sweets, tasty “chiacchiere” and “fritelle” will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to Abraham House.
Children will be shown how to create Carnevale masks. There will be a “Sfilata di Carnevale” (Carnival parade) around the gym, where children, led by “Re Carnevale” (the Carnival King) will show off their colorful creations.
Reservations are required. Call the Italian Heritage Club at 315-733-6106 or the parish office at 315-735-1482 to let us know how many participants will be joining in the fun. We look forward to sharing this great tradition with you!
The history of Carnevale is interesting.
According to one legend, the Carnevale di Venezia began as a celebration of the victory of the Venetian Republic over the Patriarch of Aquileia in 1162 just before Lent. People gathered in St. Mark’s Square and started to dance.
The celebration became official during the Renaissance and became even more sumptuous in the 17th century. Things got a bit out of hand, however, prompting the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II to ban it in 1797. The celebration was revived in 1979 and now attracts at least 3 million visitors a year to the “floating” city.
In other parts of Italy, America and in the Latin countries, Carnevale is celebrated with parades with elaborately decorated floats, the most famous ones in Italy’s Viareggio, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.
In the Sicilian community of Misterbianco the celebration combines Italian, American and Latin country traditions where local parades feature costumes that become the parade floats. Each year a theme is chosen and, like the celebration in New Orleans, neighborhoods compete for the best presentation of the year.
Carnevale
St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament’s Social Ministry, in collaboration with the Italian Heritage Club of the Mohawk Valley, will host a family centered Carnevale celebration.
- When: 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 1, in the gymnasium.
- Who: Children and adults.
- What: Free beverages and a chance to socialize. Traditional Carnevale sweets, tasty “chiacchiere” and “fritelle,” will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to Abraham House.
- Reservations: Call the Italian Heritage Club at 315-733-6106 or the parish office at 315-735-1482.