The Syracuse Florence community was especially festive this week to celebrate the end of the Carnival period, which concludes with Martedì Grasso (AKA Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday).
Christian traditions like this are strong here in the capital of the Catholic world. For the last few weekends, the streets and piazzas have been a colorful stage for Italian children in costume. Hallowe’en may be gaining in popularity here, but Carnevale remains the main festivity for which Italians dress up and masquerade.
To kick things off, Professor Eric Nicholson and his students performed “Long Live Carnival, Long Live Love” – scenes from the Commedia dell’Arte, an Italian theatrical art form whose origins are tied to the famous Venice Carnival.
The next day – Mardi Gras – our student services staff organized a mask-making station and a tasting of traditional carnival-related goodies in the Villa Rossa garden.
Giulia Ricciardi, our Student Experience Manager, had this to say about the day’s festivities:
This year the Carnival celebrations at SU Florence brought together tradition and a touch of creativity from both staff members and students. For Mardi Gras, staff members came to the Villa Rossa wearing Venetian masks, cowboy hats, and colorful outfits. As the festivity coincided with our weekly event Typical Tuesday, we offered carnival treats to our students, who seemed to really appreciate it as everything disappeared fast! Student Services also provided blank masks to decorate so students could fully immerse themselves in the spirit of Carnival. All of this took place in our Villa Rossa, decorated from top to bottom for the occasion! We all had fun!