Of course, Pre Lenten Carnivale takes place throughout all of Italy  (and the world). This report spotlights, Sicily.
 

Carnival time arrives in Sicily! During the last week of the month Acireale, Adrano, Misterbianco, Paternó, San Cono, Taormina and Giardini Naxos all have big events planned!

P.S. Alitalia is offering very low off season rates to Sicily right now....

Ski all month on the snow covered slopes of Mt. Etna... the cross-country skiing trails are open and the conditions are fabulous. Huts for overnight stays have been booked heavily.Unfortunately, downhill skiing is unavailable right now since the ski lifts were destroyed in Mt. Etna's last eruption in October 2002.

A Favorite Spot Carnival Time in Sicily!

Carnival in Sicily is celebrated the last two weeks of the month at different times in different cities, towns and villages throughout Sicily leading up to the start of Lent.

The closest thing we have to Carnival in the States is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (Of course Rio de Janerio, is the "Mother" of all Mardi Gras)

The big difference, of course, is that in the States there is an emphasis on drinking, carousing and the like while in Sicily the emphasis is much more on the color and pageantry of each town's parade and the efforts that town folk exert in preparation of the gala day or weekend.

Carnival dates back centuries when the aristocracy paraded through town dressed in their finest clothes riding in brightly decorated carts or floats painted with allegorical themes from which they threw sweets to the common folk. This tradition is commemorated in each city and town today with carts, enormous papier-maché puppets and gaily painted floats which compete for first prize in each town's friendly competition.

Food, fireworks, dance and good clean fun follow the parade. This is also the time to play practical jokes (a little like April Fool's Day) and pranksters play little tricks on each other. The season's typical sweet is the frittèlla.  On the mainland, Verona, Venice and Viareggio have the nation's biggest Carnivals and hundreds of thousands of Europeans flock to these cities annually.

In Taormina,a parade of beautifully costumed children and teenagers (lots of adults too!) in magnificent floats depicting the Romeo and Juliette era. The crowd  was showered with confetti and little sugar candies as the floats pass.

The backdrop of ancient Taormina reminds one how the same scene had probably played out over countless generations of Sicilians. A colorful little band led the procession which snaked its way up the entire length of Curso Umberto. One does not see a single beer, alcoholic drink, or drunk person all day. The emphasis was on fun , merriment, dancing and singing.....just like the old days. Magical Taormina had witnessed hundreds of these parades over the centuries....

One can then travel down the Funivia (the cable car that connects Taormina to the sea) to Giardini Naxos,.. the ancient town that the Greeks first colonized two thousand years ago....

Throngs filled Giardini's streets.  Finding a place to park is an impossibility.
(Most travel by train to Carnival to avoid this problem as the station is only a few blocks away).  Here Carnival was set in the breathtaking bay filled with scores of fishing boats with Etna as a backdrop.   Fish-themed costumes and floats reflected the resort's roots. Larger than Taormina’s Carnival, the explosion of color and sound can be  unforgettable.

Be sure not to miss the most magnificent Carnival of all... Acireale, a beautiful city filled with baroque churches, breathtaking scenery and friendly people. Tens of thousands of people are there for Carnival. The parades are enormous; costumes and floats outstanding. The fun, music and laughter permeated as Sicilians enjoyed one last party before Lent began the following Ash Wednesday.

Carnival has something for everybody....small intimate parades as in Taormina, intermediate sized Carnivals like Giardini Naxos or grand scale Carnivals like Acireale's. As one will find consistently throughout Sicily, there is something for everybody.

In April, we can look forward to Pasqua (Easter) in Sicily.