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Italian Mardi Gras celebrations : we look at the traditions of Mardi Gras in Italy - what they are and where to find them. Mardi Gras, known as ‘ Carnevale ’ (pronounced car-nay- vahl -ay) in Italy, is one of the most important events in Italian culture and customs - and contrary to popular belief it doesn't only happen in Venice. A huge final celebration to eat, drink and be merry before the restrictions and solemnity of Lent, the festivities in Italy aren’t reserved just to Mardi Gras. Starting about a month before Ash Wednesday, revelers in Italy celebrate for multiple weekends with sweeping parades, elaborate masks and plenty of brightly colored confetti. Think of Carnevale in Italy as a big final party before Ash Wednesday, the restrictions of Lent, and the more pious observances of Easter. Italy celebrates Carnevale with a huge winter festival marked by parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Children throw confetti at each other—and sometimes toss flour and raw eggs, too. As with all Catholic countries, the traditions of Mardi Gras in Italy are always interesting, varied - and sometimes just plain mad! They’re given great importance because the weeks leading up to the period of fasting at Lent in the Christian calendar are about celebration and fun, before a tough seven weeks of denial and sombre days. Carnevale, Italy’s carnival or mardi gras, is celebrated 40 days before Easter, the day before Lent begins. Although Venice holds the most famous Italian carnival events, there are parades and festivals almost everywhere in Italy, some of them very unusual. The Carnival of Venice (Italian: Carnevale di Venezia; Venetian: Carneval de Venèsia) is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy, famous throughout the world for its elaborate costumes and masks. The Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (Martedì Grasso or Mardi Gras), which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. One of the most original, folk celebrations in Italy is the celebration of the Historic Carnival of Ivrea, in Piedmont, one of a kind because of the sensational “Battle of the Oranges”: a medieval reenactment staged in the three days around Mardi Gras that revokes the battle between the aranceri a piedi (orange handlers on foot), who represent the population, and the tiratori di arance Celebrations are a great part of Italian culture and customs. People are always ready for a party - and when they celebrate, they celebrate hard and long! So, not satisfied with just the one day of celebrations for Carnevale, cities, towns and villages all over Italy turn it into an event lasting several days or even weeks. Italian Mardi Gras, known locally as Carnevale, is a spectacular celebration that brings colour, excitement, and centuries-old traditions to life across the country.From the iconic masks of Venice to the funny orange battles of Ivrea, Italy’s Carnival season offers a unique blend of history, culture, and revelry that captivates millions of visitors from around the world each year. Italy. With Carnival celebrations across Italy, the best known is Carnevale di Venezia in Venice, which dates back to the 17th century. The Carnival officially dates from December 26 through Ash Wednesday. Russia. Russia's Mardi Gras festival is known as Maslenitsa, with a bit of the region's pagan Slavic roots incorporated. Whether you celebrate Mardi Gras for its connection to Christian traditions, its cultural significance, or simply for the fun and revelry, it remains an enduring and beloved festival. In places like New Orleans, Mardi Gras has become a symbol of the city’s identity, representing unity, diversity, and the joy of living life to the fullest. As Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans The Rome Carnival we attend and celebrate today has very ancient roots, just like most festivals and traditions in Italy. It usually takes place around February, always Thursday (Fat Thursday), Sunday (Carnival Sunday), and Tuesday (Mardi Gras) before Ash Wednesday, which is when Lent, the forty-day period before Easter, starts. Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, marks not only the last day of Carnival but also the last day observants can eat meat and enjoy other indulgences before Lent. Mardi Gras is a festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent. Here are some suggestions of the country’s most evocative Mardi Gras events! In Italy, Mardi Gras is more commonly known as “Carnevale,” even though Carnival officially refers to the period that goes from the Epiphany (January 6 th) until Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of a period of fasting known as Lent. Mardi Gras (UK: / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː /, US: / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː /; [1] [2] also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. [3] How ‘Carnevale’ in Italy fits with Mardi Gras history and its origins in Italian religion. Think of the words ‘Mardi Gras’ and you’ll probably think of New Orelans and Rio, floats and parades and carnival beads. But did you know that Mardi Gras is also one of the great Italian holiday traditions? The History & Traditions of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Louisiana since the 18th century, brought by French settlers. Today’s traditions stem from European carnival customs mixed with local culture, creating a uniquely New Orleans spectacle. Here are the eight best places in the world to celebrate Mardi Gras in 2025. There is not just one New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, the city celebrates in the lead up to "Fat Tuesday". Bob Sacha/Getty Images 1. New Orleans, USA
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