The masks and costumes worn are from clothing that's from the 18th century! This is because this time period was really long ago, but this type of clothing can be full of color and the designs are unlike anything you'll see today.
If you go to Venice for Carnival, you must try a frittole. This is a famous food tradition. Frittole is very similar to doughnuts. They are sweet fritters topped with powder sugar and stuffed with cream!
Italy has this tradition because they have a very strong religious history. The Italian word Carnevale means "take away the meat" or "farewell to the meat." This meaning has to do with the time before Lent. People who were Catholic would eat as much meat as they could fit into their stomachs before the start of Lent.
Do you know what Lent is? Many different holidays celebrate a version of this. Lent lasts about 40 days before Easter. Many people see Lent as a way to reflect on their past.
The tradition of Carnival goes all the way back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. That is over 900 years ago!
This tradition is not directly connected to the environment, but it is connected in certain ways. People dress up and do many activities outside. If you are outside, you will see many people selling lots of different food from pastries or desserts to different types of cooked pasta like lasagna, tortellini or gnocchi. How many different types of pasta can you name?
