Carnival

As part of the Christian calendar, carnival took place immediately before the beginning of Lent, with its 40 days of fasting and abstaining from bodily pleasures. The carnival season could start several weeks before the actual day of carnival itself, which in Italy meant the Thursday before Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent) and the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in other parts of Europe. The French expression for this day, mardi gras (Fat Tuesday), is the way carnival is often referred to in English. The word carnival means taking away meat; Christians were not permitted to consume meat during Lent. Meat became symbolic of carnival, with giant, phallic sausages paraded through the streets and floats advertising the butchers’ guild. The carnival season was a time for butchering hogs and gorging on various meat products, such as sausages and roasts. For those who could afford the ingredients, rich desserts were also part of carnival meals. In private festivities the world was topsy-turvy, with servants dressed in finery and masters pretending to be servants, waiting on them at table. Crossdressing contributed to the confused world of carnival, and ordinary people acted out impromptu street theater, usually in a comical or satirical mode. in Protestant Europe carnival floats often made fun of the pope or of local preachers. With the consumption of alcoholic beverages that accompanied public celebration, crowds could become rowdy. Sporting activities were a bit more violent than usual, and riots could ensure. Masks and disguises added to the festival nature of carnival; Venice was (and is) particularly famous for its artistic masks and costumes. Masked couples flirted and danced, heightening the sexual charge of carnival. Sexuality was enhanced, and more babies were conceived during this season than at any other time of the year. (Although Christians in the far north of Europe, such as in England, celebrated carnival, their major outdoor festivals occurred during the spring and summer.)