My First Carnevale Experience in Italy

Me, my host brother, and my students

Buona Fortuna (Good Luck)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Hi Ho Hi Ho

Dragons and Boobies

The float and the clock tower

Penguin Float

My host brother, my host brother’s dad’s girlfriend, and me

My host brother’s dad and his girlfriend

Host family friends

My First Carnevale Experience

I went to Carnevale in Dronero with my host brother, his dad, and his dad’s girl friend. It was a really amazing experience for me because it was my first Carnevale. We don’t celebrate Carnevale in America. It’s a cultural thing I suppose. Before this trip, I thought Carnevale was just associated with Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday as we say in America, but it’s actually a celebration that lasts about a month starting in mid January and lasting until mid February. Each city will have its own Carnevale parade and festival. The first one in my area being in Dronero.

People dressed up in costumes and it was quite nice to watch the different floats in the parade. Some of the people marching in the parade were my students. My students would recognize me and greet me by throwing confetti a me. There was confetti EVERYWHERE. It was fun but a difficult to get off my clothes and hair after the parade was over.

I feel like more people know each other in Italy. Since the cities and towns are smaller, it feels like everyone is familiar with everyone else. It’s a cool thing to be able to go to a town where everyone knows who you are. It’s very different from America. There is much more anonymity in the United States. For example, there are so many people living in my hometown of Fullerton, California that it would be impossible to know everyone.

Anyways, I can’t wait to go to Carnevale in Venice. I’m so excited since there’s no school because of the holiday. I will also be taking a few additional days off to go to the cities of Bologna and Modena to visit some of my host family’s relatives. I’m glad that there are more holidays in Italy. It’s a nice change from having only 2 weeks off work a year. Until I find time to update my blog again…

Ciao!