Carnival

This is a huge winter festival all over Italy, which is celebrated with parades, masquerade balls, entertainments, music, food and parties. Children throw confetti at each other, and mischief and pranks are common around this time, hence the saying: ‘a carnevale ogni scherzo vale’ (anything goes at carnival). Carnival has its roots in pagan traditions and, as is often the case with traditional festivals, was adapted to fit into Catholic rituals. Some carnival traditions in Sicily date back to the 17th century, including the construction of the first papier-mâché chariot in Palermo in 1601, which represented Neptune surrounded by mermaids. This art form was then adopted by other towns in Sicily with great enthusiasm. The food tends to be rich and fatty, with pork being the favourite meat. Carnival is followed by a period of self-restraint in Lent.