Carnival in Sicily: an ancient tradition for the craziest feast of the year
Carnival – the term used to designate la festa di Carnevale is connected to the Latin term “Carnem Levare”, that is to the ecclesiastic prohibition to eat meat during the Lent period. Anciently the celebrations linked to this profane and folkloristic manifestation lasted more than a month, starting from the day following the Epiphany and up to the arrival of the saddest and most austere Lent, but after the earthquake of January 11th 1693 the duration of the festivity began to be reduced and currently it lasts one week before Lent which it anticipates.
The origins of what is probably the most known pagan feast are very ancient: the period in which it takes place reminds of the Athenian feast of Antesterie (end of February), the Hellenistic one based on the procession of the carronave of Iside that in ancient times took place at the beginning of March and above all of the Latin Saturnali.
The first certain historical news about Sicilian Carnival date back to 1600 and concern the city of Palermo and, over the years, the recurrence assumed more and more pomp in the preparation of decorations, costumes and masks and power over the collective desire to escape from routine and daily life. In ancient times in Sicily, it was possible to assist to some particular dances, such as the one “of the slaves” during which the participants, disguised just as slaves, danced in the public streets to the sound of ancient Turkish instruments such as drums, or the so-called “Balla-Virticchi” for which the participants disguised themselves as pygmies and held the people.
Among the most characteristic Sicilian masks of the past, it is necessary to remember those of the “Jardinara” (gardeners) and of the “Varca” known above all in the province of Palermo and those of the “briganti” and of the “cavallacciu” known above all in the province of Catania. Among the other traditional masks of the past, it is possible to remember those that serve as a parody of the major exponents of the city’s social classes: in this way we have the innumerable representations of the “Dutturi”(doctor), of the “Baruni”(baron) and of the “Abbati”(abbot).
La festa di Carnevale has always represented the mirror of the social, political and civil conditions of the times, as well as the pinnacle and maximum representation of transgressiveness.
Traditions
The culinary tradition linked to Carnival is a worthy sign of the abundance of the recurrence: during this week there is a large use of meat sauces and elaborate dishes, such as “maccheroni al ragù” and the ancient “Minestrone del giovedì grasso” (Minestrone of Fat Thursday) prepared in the County of Modica (known for its unique chocolate), rich sweets such as “Teste di Turco” (sweet pancakes filled with cream and raisins produced in Modica) and less elaborated sweets such as “Pignoccata” and “Chiacchiere“.
Last aspect connected to the feast in question concerns some ancient traditions which, unfortunately, today do not have the same strength and the same charm of the past. We are talking, for example, about the ancient habit of telling riddles in dialect, often apparently lewd and rich in double meanings but which often had a more naive solution than what it could seem.
Nowadays the habit of celebrating Carnival is still very felt all over the island. Many are the celebrations organized by private individuals, but even more numerous are those organized in public form and which can boast a secular tradition.
