About Carnevale
Carnival, or Carnevale, has been celebrated for centuries throughout Italy. The name is said to derive from the words carne vale - 'farewell to meat' - which explain the function of the celebration: an opportunity to indulge and use up such treats before the start of Lent (like an extended Pancake Day).
In modern Italy Carnevale is generally a time for children, who are led, carried and wheeled around town dressed in costumes - from cute fluffy animal suits to musketeers and Harry Potters, leaving a trail of confetti, sweets and 'silly string' littering streets and piazzas. Sometimes the celebrations extend to organised events for the whole community, but on the whole it's not a very important time for adults.