L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 4 FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS T he first, evident s i g n o u r l i v e s w e r e a b o u t t o change drasti- cally because of Covid-19 came, to us Ita- lians, the day last year when the Carnevale di Venezia cancelled its celebrations. It was surreal, because I think no one in the country, except perhaps the few who were alive during the last war, witnessed the cancellation of something so traditionally important for a reason that put our own lives, habits and livelihoods in danger. Twelve months later, and it's Carnevale time again. A lot changed, in the past y e a r : w e u n d e r s t o o d t h e magnitude of the tragedy that hit our world, we lost many and many more have survived. We have vaccines, now, and medications, but the virus remains deadly and incredibly contagious. We've learned how to cohabit with it, though, we restructured the way we work, communi- cate, socialize and enjoy our- selves. We also modified, forced by circumstances, the way we experience art and e v e n t s , a n d t h i s i s w h e r e Carnevale 2021 comes in. B e c a u s e o f c u r r e n t r e s t r i c t i o n s , c e l e b r a t i n g Carnevale with traditional parades, parties and balls is out of question this year, but how are we going to do it t h e n ? T h e m o s t f a m o u s Carnevali around Italy chose the online route and adapted their main events to virtual platforms, each of them in a different way. This comes w i t h s o m e u n e x p e c t e d advantages, especially for worldwide Carnevale lovers, who will have the opportu- nity to experience it without even having to leave their sitting room. We all known that Italy is home to some of the most f a m o u s C a r n e v a l i i n t h e world: Venice is, perhaps, the most popular and arti- s t i c , b u t w e a l s o h a v e Viareggio, known for its s a t y r i c a l f l o a t s , I v r e a , where the ancient battle of the oranges takes place and, o f c o u r s e , t h e o l d e s t Carnevale of them all, the one in Putignano, which dates back to the late 14th century. How are these Carnevali celebrated this year, in the times of social distancing and sheltering at home? We'll get to it in just a second, but first let's say a t h i n g o r t w o a b o u t Carnevale and when it takes place, because if you check o u t d a t e s , y o u ' l l n o t i c e immediately it doesn't hap- pen every year in the same days. N o w , t h i s i s b e c a u s e Carnevale depends on when Easter falls, and Easter is a movable feast, which means its date is not always the same. In the Middle Ages, the Easter computus — the calculation of Easter — used to be the cause of much cha- grin and diatribes: seriou- sly, they just couldn't agree on it. In Late Antiquity, that time going from around the mid 4th century AD and, let us say, the 6th century (there isn't much agreement on that, either), it was the Pope to announce the date o f E a s t e r t o C h r i s t i a n s around the known world, but then, especially after the end of the Western Roman E m p i r e , c o m m u n i c a t i o n became harder so priests were instructed on how to calculate it themselves: and that's when things got out of hand. If you want to learn more about the saga that kept Medieval Man up at night, feel free to check out B e d e ' s R e c k o n n i n g o f Time, but forgive me if I'm g o i n g t o s k i p o n a l l t h a t here: it should suffice us to know that, according to the Gregorian Calendar, the one we follow, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon after the 21st of March. As the lunar cycle is not regular, the date of Easter changes and, with it, also that of the beginning of Lent and of Carnevale. Yes, because according to Catholic tradition the first day of Carnevale falls on the Septuagesima Sunday, o r t h e n i n t h d a y b e f o r e Easter, which is also the t h i r d S u n d a y b e f o r e A s h Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. As a consequence, F a t T h u r s d a y i s t h e second Thursday after the beginning of Carnevale, the f o l l o w i n g S u n d a y i s Carnevale Sunday and t h e n , t w o d a y s l a t e r , w e have Martedì Grasso, the end of all celebrations, on the eve of Ash Wednesday,. S o , t h i s y e a r , C a r n e v a l e s t a r t e d o n t h e 3 1 s t o f January, Fat Thursday was on the 11th of February and Carnevale Sunday one the 14th. Martedì Grasso fell on the 16th and Lent began just yesterday, on the 17th. Messy, you think? Well, there is actually more. If you live in Lombardia, more precisely in the area c o v e r e d b y t h e Archdiocese of Milan, Carnevale dates are diffe- rent. This happens because the city and its surrounding a r e a s d o n ' t f o l l o w t h e Catholic Roman Rite but the The Carnevale of Ivrea, known for the Battaglia delle Arance, was cancelled this year (Photo: illpaxphotomatic/Shutterstock.com) Continued to page 6 Carnevale in the year of the pandemic

• Cover