Carnevale!

I never expected that I would get to participate in Carnevale, yet here were are in Italy and we did get to experience Carnevale! We found out that the town just over from ours hosts one of the bigger celebrations in Italy! It's very Italian in that it is all done in a chaotic sort of way that Italians are completely at home with. On Sunday we headed over withthe kids. The website says things will start at 3:00 and we found out that's when they close the road. Things weren't even set up. "Things" got started after 5:30. What we thought was going to be a parade was more of a static parade. We didn't clue in right away so we didn't actually go and see all the other sections of the "parade". It was cold and late and it seems that Carnevale can really drain one's energy - especially when it's at the volume Italians like! However we all had a great time and we did learn why one should eat cotton candy AFTER throwing confetti and not before.

Carnevale is HUGE in Italy! OK, so not all of Italy is like Venice - or even close to Venice, but it is still BIG! This area seems to really cater to the kids. I've never seen so many costumes in my life. It is nothing for Italian to drop $100 or more on a costume for a young child! Kyle's school had a pre Carnevale celebration where the parents brought in typical foods for this time of year from their countries to share with the other parents (yes I made Pancakes!). Then they had a Carnevale day with the kids in costume (that's when they get their school pictures done) complete with a festa (party). Then they get Shrove/Fat/Pancake Tuesday off. That's when a few of the parents and I got together and took our kids to Villa Literno for another day of Carnevale celebrations.

Shrove Tuesday proved to be louder and more crowded in Villa Literno. Yet, the kids and the parents had a great time! However, I think the parents may have enjoyed themselves slightly more than the kids as many of them had to instruct their children on the proper use of silly string and just how to throw confetti with the right technique. I was left wondering if the kids that were hesitant were scared silly string or scared of their parents' behavior with silly string.

I had a fantastic time taking pictures of all the costumes. The first slideshow is of Sunday's Carnevale celebration in Villa Literno with Brian, the kids and myself. The second slideshow is of Carnevale at Kyle's school and then the group of friends in Villa Literno on Shrove Tuesday (and a few extraneous little Italians in costumes).

Feel free to leave a comment and vote for your favourite costumes!