A CARNIVAL DAY IN VILLADOSE - ITALY

Carnival is a well-known festival all around the world.

In our town, which is not very far from Venice (90 km), Carnival is celebrated on the first Sunday in February. People meet in the main square at 2.30 p.m. All the children are in fancy dresses and huge bizarre wagons can be seen on the streets.

People give out streamers, cakes, toy trumpets and anything can make children happy.

At three o'clock there's a fancy dress parade: the jury gives a prize to the most original mask.

Children are dressed up as Spiderman, Batman, Captain Hook, witches or ghosts and many other popular characters.

Last year the most original mask was " Red Moon" the famous Italian sailing boat!

Then at 4 p.m we have some games. One of them is really funny: first they blindfold you and then you have to break a vase which is hanged over you.

If you do, sweets and chocolates fall on your head .. and into your mouth!!!

Then people often play a trick on you: they ask you to blow out a candle with your eyes shut.. but then they change the candle with a dish full of flour and when you blow all the flour covers your face!!!

People laugh, play and eat the delicious fritters and carnival cakes wich are sold in the stalls.

At 6 p.m you can see a straw puppet called "Bombasin" burning in the square: That's the final event of an axtraordinary and exciting Carnival day.

SOME NEWS ABOUT VENETIAN CARNIVAL

Venetian Carnival dates back to 1662.

At first it was celebrated only on Thursday (the day before Lent). There were races, fireworks, games and shows.

Everybody took part in it.

Nobles dressed up in black cloaks (called "bauta") and black or white masks.

During the XIX century Carnival was not very popular but since 1980 Venetain Carnival has been attracting tourists from all over the world.