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87-448: Masquerade balls were a feature of the Carnival season in the 15th century, and involved increasingly elaborate allegorical Royal Entries , pageants, and triumphal processions celebrating marriages and other dynastic events of late medieval court life. The " Bal des Ardents " ( "Burning Men's Ball" ) was held by Charles VI of France, and intended as a Bal des sauvages ( "Wild Men's Ball" ),

174-468: A Mrs. Whittaker, later known as Whittaker's Private Hotel. In 1873 it became an antique furniture warehouse. From 1899 onwards, a different antiques dealer leased it and redecorated much of the interior. In 1936, it became the offices of the British Board of Film Censors . The house was destroyed in a World War II bombing raid on 10–11 May 1941, a full-moon night, killing the caretaker and his wife and

261-573: A Wednesday evening debate series called the School of Eloquence. The rooms continued to be advertised for hire for events, and were popular on Sundays, when few other venues were open. By September 1783 the premises were advertised to let, and it was empty the following March. In June 1789 the music publisher Thomas Jefferys was occupying it, and the house was demolished in 1791. Madame Cornelys' main assembly rooms in Sutton Street remained; her salon became

348-543: A basket in the narthex to collect the previous year's Holy Week palm branches that were blessed and distributed during the Palm Sunday liturgies. On Shrove Tuesday (the final day of Shrovetide), churches burn these palms to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday. The term "Carnival" is traditionally used in areas with a large Catholic presence, as well as in Greece . The celebration

435-563: A central role, from the Queen elections to the Grand Parade. Street parades continue in various districts throughout the month, with brass band, steelpan and roadmarch tunes. On the evening before Lent, Carnival ends with the symbolic burning of King Momo. Junkanoo is the principal street parade in the Bahamas, it has been practiced in the Bahamas before and after the 1834 emancipation of slavery in

522-408: A coherent festival or link these festivals. These similarities may represent a reservoir of cultural resources that can embody multiple meanings and functions. For example, Easter begins with the resurrection of Jesus , followed by a liminal period, and ends with rebirth . Carnival reverses this as King Carnival comes to life, and a liminal period follows before his death. Both feasts are calculated by

609-476: A common root. In early Christianity , Christ is figured as the victim of summary judgment , and is tortured and executed by Romans before a Jewish mob ("His blood is on us and on our children!" Matthew 27:24–25 ). Holy Week processions in Spain include crowds who vociferously insult the figure of Jesus. Irreverence, parody, degradation, and laughter at a tragicomic effigy of God can be seen as intensifications of

696-443: A day where all are meant to perform a "mask" that differs from their typical identity, all members of a society are able to connect through their theatricality and satire. Mircea Eliade , historian of religions, writes: "Any new year is a revival of time at its beginning, a repetition of the cosmogony. Ritual fights between two groups of extras, the presence of the dead, Saturnalia and orgies, are all elements which indicate that at

783-500: A food shortage at the end of the winter as stores ran out. Until spring produce was available, people were limited to the minimum necessary meals during this period. On what nowadays is called vastenavond (the days before fasting ), all the remaining winter stores of lard, butter, and meat which were left would be eaten, for these would otherwise soon start to rot and decay. The selected livestock had already been slaughtered in November and

870-502: A form of costumed ball ( morisco ). It took place in celebration of the marriage of a lady-in-waiting of Charles VI of France 's queen in Paris on January 28, 1393. The King and five courtiers dressed as wildmen of the woods ( woodwoses ), with costumes of flax and pitch . If they came too close to a torch, the dancers would catch fire. (This episode may have influenced Edgar Allan Poe 's short story " Hop-Frog ".) Such costumed dances were

957-466: A giant celebration that involved the whole community, and is thought to be the origin of Carnival. In many Christian sermons and texts, the example of a vessel is used to explain Christian doctrine: "the nave of the church of baptism", "the ship of Mary ", etc. The writings show that processions with ship-like carts were held and lavish feasts were celebrated on the eve of Lent or the greeting of spring in

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1044-410: A heightened sense of social unity. Participants often indulge in excessive consumption of alcohol, meat, and other foods that will be forgone during upcoming Lent. Traditionally, butter, milk, and other animal products were not consumed "excessively", rather, their stock was fully consumed during Shrovetide as to reduce waste. This festival is known for being a time of great indulgence before Lent (which

1131-450: A historical and religious point of view, the Carnival therefore represented a period of celebration, but above all of symbolic renewal, during which chaos replaced the established order, which, however, once the festive period was over, re-emerged new or renewed and guaranteed for a cycle valid until the beginning of the following Carnival. From an anthropological point of view, Carnival is

1218-635: A long time, the most famous Carnival (although Napoleon abolished it in 1797 and only in 1979 was the tradition restored). From Italy, Carnival traditions spread to Spain, Portugal, and France, and from France to New France in North America. From Spain and Portugal, it spread with colonization to the Caribbean and Latin America . In the early 19th century in the German Rhineland and Southern Netherlands ,

1305-528: A marriage would be consummated as a fertility ritual . Tacitus wrote in his Germania : Germania 9.6: Ceterum nec cohibere parietibus deos neque in ullam humani oris speciem adsimulare ex magnitudine caelestium arbitrator – "The Germans, however, do not consider it consistent with the grandeur of celestial beings to confine the gods within walls, or to liken them to the form of any human countenance." Germania 40: mox vehiculum et vestis et, si credere velis, numen ipsum secreto lacu abluitur – "Afterwards

1392-467: A method of empowering themselves in spite of social conflicts. For example, when the Caribbean Carnival was established as a result of French settlers, even the slaves had their version of the masquerade , where they would reverse roles to mock those of higher social status. Along with empowering individuals for a period of time, despite their typical status, Carnival brings communities together. In

1479-469: A national holiday, when costume bands fill the streets with pulsating Barbadian rhythms and fireworks. San Pedro is one of Belize 's few cities to observe Carnaval before Lent. Elsewhere, Carnaval (sometimes referred to as Carnival) often occurs in September. The Fiesta de Carnaval is often the most popular celebration, usually held over three days prior to Ash Wednesday, but the festivities often extend to

1566-510: A pagan." Confession books from around 800 contain more information about how people would dress as an animal or old woman during the festivities in January and February, even though this was a sin with no small penance. Also in Spain in the seventh century, San Isidoro de Sevilla complained in his writings about people coming out into the streets disguised, in many cases, as the opposite sex. Gradually, ecclesiastical authority began to realize that

1653-448: A reversal ritual, in which social roles are reversed and norms about desired behavior are suspended. During antiquity , winter was thought of as the reign of the winter spirits; these needed to be driven out in order for summer to return. Carnival can thus be regarded as a rite of passage from darkness to light, from winter to summer: a fertility celebration, the first spring festival of the new year. Several Germanic tribes celebrated

1740-690: A special luxury of the Ducal Court of Burgundy . Masquerade balls were extended into costumed public festivities in Italy during the 20th century Renaissance (Italian maschera ). They were generally elaborate dances held for members of the upper classes, and were particularly popular in Venice . They have been associated with the tradition of the Venetian Carnival . With the fall of the Venetian Republic at

1827-401: A type of game to see if a guest could determine each other's identities. This added a humorous effect to many masquerades and enabled a more enjoyable version of typical balls. One of the most noted masquerade balls of the 20th century was that held at Palazzo Labia in Venice on 3 September 1951, hosted by Carlos de Beistegui . It was dubbed "the party of the century". Another famous ball

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1914-518: A yearly prize. It has imported various Brazilian Carnival traditions. The celebration in São Nicolau is more traditional, where established groups parade through the Ribeira Brava , gathering in the town square , although it has adopted drums, floats and costumes from Brazil. In São Nicolau, three groups, Copa Cabana, Estrela Azul, and Brilho Da Zona, construct a painted float using fire, newspaper for

2001-633: Is a popular musical style. In all major cities and many towns throughout the country, Carnival is celebrated. The Humahuaca Carnival is a popular celebration, which takes place at the beginning of Lent (40 days before Holy Week), in the Quebrada de Humahuaca area, Jujuy province, Argentina. As Carnival coincides with summer in the Southern Hemisphere, in many parts of Argentina children play with water. The 19th century tradition of filling empty egg shells with water has evolved into water games that include

2088-425: Is a time stressing the opposite), with drinking, overeating, and various other activities of indulgence being performed. For example, pancakes , donuts, and other desserts are prepared and eaten for a final time. During Lent, dairy and animal products are eaten less, if at all, and individuals make a Lenten sacrifice , thus giving up a certain object or activity of desire. As such, during the season of Shrovetide, it

2175-473: Is a traditional harvest festival celebrated in Barbados . Its early beginnings were on the sugar cane plantations during the colonial period. Crop Over began in 1688, and featured singing, dancing, and accompaniment by shak-shak , banjo , triangle , fiddle , guitar, bottles filled with water, and bones. Other traditions included climbing a greased pole, feasting, and drinking competitions. Originally signaling

2262-585: Is customary for Christians to ponder what Lenten sacrifices they will make for the coming Lent. The traditions of carrying Shrovetide rods and consuming Shrovetide buns after attending church are celebrated. On the final day of the season, Shrove Tuesday, many traditional Christians, such as Lutherans, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics, "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with." During Shrovetide, many churches place

2349-574: Is held from the end of July to the first Tuesday in August. The most important day is that of the j'ouvert (or juvé ), in which brass and steelpan bands perform. Barbuda 's Carnival, held in June, is known as "Caribana". The Antiguan and Barbudan Carnivals replaced the Old Time Christmas Festival in 1957, with hopes of inspiring tourism. In Argentina , the most representative Carnival performed

2436-475: Is held in the capital city of Victoria and takes place over three days. On Day 1, the grand opening is held in the city center near the clock tower. The second day is parade day. On Day 3, the closing ceremony is held, and a lottery winner is announced. The Harare Carnival is held late in May. Events include fashion and music shows. The climax is a street party featuring costumes and music. The Antiguan Carnival

2523-695: Is in fact no evidence that they existed much before 1200." Because Lent was a period of fasting , "Carnival therefore represented a last period of feasting and celebration before the spiritual rigors of Lent." Meat was plentiful during this part of the Christian calendar and it was consumed during Carnival as people abstained from meat consumption during the following liturgical season, Lent. During Carnival, also known as Shrovetide, people confessed (shrived) their sins in preparation for Lent as well. Shakespeare's 1601 play, The Merchant of Venice , Scene 5 of Act 2, mentions Christians who painted their faces to celebrate

2610-563: Is known as Fastelavn in historically Evangelical Lutheran countries. It is called Shrovetide in areas with a high concentration of Anglicans ( Church of England / US Episcopal Church ), Methodists , and other Protestants . In Slavic Eastern Orthodox nations, Maslenitsa is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent . In German -speaking Europe and the Netherlands , the Carnival season traditionally opens on 11/11 (often at 11:11 a.m.). This dates back to celebrations before

2697-505: Is rumoured to have been a tunnel between the two houses. In 1753, he sold it to an upholstery business, which used the stables and coach house in Hog Lane as their workshop and rented the house to the envoy of the King of Naples , who lived there from 1754 to 1758. An outbuilding on Sutton Street was made into a Catholic chapel for him and his staff. In summer 1759, three special Dutch envoys occupied

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2784-473: Is said to come from the Late Latin expression carne levare , which means "remove meat"; a folk etymology derives it from carne vale , "farewell to meat". In either case, this signifies the approaching fast. The word carne may also be translated as flesh, producing "a farewell to the flesh", a phrase embraced by certain Carnival celebrants to embolden the festival's carefree spirit. The etymology of

2871-473: Is the calypso competition. Calypso music, originating in Trinidad, uses syncopated rhythm and topical lyrics. It offers a medium in which to satirise local politics, amidst the general bacchanal. Calypso tents, also originating in Trinidad, feature cadres of musicians who perform biting social commentaries, political exposés or rousing exhortations to "wuk dah waistline" and "roll dat bumper". The groups compete for

2958-515: Is the so-called Murga , although other famous Carnivals, more like Brazil's, are held in Argentine Mesopotamia and the North-East. Gualeguaychú in the east of Entre Ríos Province is the most important Carnival city and has one of the largest parades. It adopts a musical background similar to Brazilian or Uruguayan Carnival. Corrientes is another city with a Carnival tradition. Chamamé

3045-455: Is used to paint people on the streets, the goal being to paint as many people as you can." Street fights often occur during the festivities – some locals treat this festival as an opportunity to exact revenge on their enemies. Vandalism is common and "businesses constantly have to prepare in covering or repainting their advertisements during Carnival season because of the mischief performed." The tradition continues despite critics who advocate

3132-689: The Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum ("small index of superstitious and pagan practices"), which was drafted by the Synod of Leptines in 742. It condemned the Spurcalibus en februario . Pope Gregory the Great (590–604) decided that fasting would start on Ash Wednesday. The whole Carnival event was set before the fasting, to set a clear division between celebrations and penitence. He also dispatched missionaries to sanctify any excesses in popular Carnival customs. It

3219-505: The Advent season or with harvest celebrations of St. Martin's Day . The word "Carnival" is of Christian origin. The Latin -derived name of the holiday is sometimes also spelled Carnaval , typically in areas where Dutch , French , Spanish , and Portuguese are spoken, or Carnevale in Italian -speaking contexts. Alternative names are used for regional and local celebrations. The word

3306-631: The Lisbon earthquake of 1755, enforcement of measures designed to end masquerades was at best desultory, and the masquerades went on as semi-private "subscriptions". In the 1770s, fashionable Londoners went to the masquerades organized by Teresa Cornelys at Carlisle House in Soho Square , and later to the Pantheon . Masquerade balls were sometimes set as a game among the guests. The masked guests were supposedly dressed so as to be unidentifiable. This would create

3393-410: The lunar calendar . Both Jesus and King Carnival may be seen as expiatory figures who make a gift to the people with their deaths. In the case of Jesus, the gift is eternal life in heaven , and in the case of King Carnival, the acknowledgement that death is a necessary part of the cycle of life. Besides Christian anti-Judaism , the commonalities between church and Carnival rituals and imagery suggest

3480-521: The British Empire. The Bahamas announced the first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival to commence in May 2015. Carnival in the Bahamas rivals various carnivals throughout the Caribbean in that it is a unique blend between the revered Junkanoo and traditional Carnival. This fairly new festival has been referred to as the ultimate celebration of everything Bahamian. "Crop Over" (formerly called "Harvest Home")

3567-586: The Calypso Monarch Award, while the air is redolent with the smells of Bajan cooking during the Bridgetown Market Street Fair. The Cohobblopot Festival blends dance, drama, and music with the crowning of the King and Queen of costume bands. Every evening the "Pic-o-de-Crop" Show is performed after the King of Calypso is finally crowned. The climax of the festival is Kadooment Day, celebrated with

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3654-558: The Carnival period, masked balls (known as paré-masked balls) take place every weekend. These are called Touloulous balls, where the Touloulous (women) are completely disguised and unrecognizable. Recently the Tololos (men) have also taken to wearing disguises. A new resurgence of masquerade balls began in the late 1990s in North America . More recently, the party atmosphere is emphasized and

3741-509: The United Kingdom, West Indian immigrants brought with them the traditions of Caribbean Carnival ; however, the Carnivals now celebrated at Notting Hill , Leeds , Yorkshire, and other places became divorced from their religious origin and became secular events that take place in the summer months. Interpretations of Carnival present it as a social institution that degrades or "uncrowns"

3828-473: The base that was chosen. The main types of masks included masks with a stick (which one could hold to keep the mask in front of their face), the head mask, the full-face mask, and the half face mask. Masquerade masks have been used in classics such as The Phantom of the Opera , Romeo and Juliet , Lone Ranger , and Gossip Girl . They are still used in many types of media today. In French Guiana , throughout

3915-603: The car, the vestments, and, if you like to believe it, the divinity herself, are purified in a secret lake." In the Middle Ages , Carnival referred to a period following Epiphany season that reached its climax before midnight on Shrove Tuesday . British historian John Bossy , in writing on the origin of the practices during Carnival, states that "These were, despite some appearances, Christian in character, and they were medieval in origin: although it has been widely supposed that they continued some kind of pre-Christian cult, there

4002-429: The close of the Christian pre-Lenten period , consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday , and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras . Carnival typically involves public celebrations , including events such as parades , public street parties and other entertainments, combining some elements of a circus . Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their everyday individuality and experience

4089-734: The desired result could not be achieved by banning Carnivals, which eventually led to a degree of Christianization of the traditions. They then became part of the liturgy and the liturgical year. In the Middle Ages, "Carnival and Lent were both necessary, inevitable episodes in the eternal cycle of the Church year." While forming an integral part of the Christian calendar, particularly in Catholic regions, many Carnival traditions resemble those antedating Christianity. While medieval pageants and festivals such as Corpus Christi were church-sanctioned, Carnival

4176-540: The early Middle Ages. The Lenten period of the liturgical calendar , the six weeks directly before Easter , was historically marked by fasting, study, and other pious or penitential practices. During Lent, no parties or celebrations were held, and people refrained from eating rich foods, such as meat, dairy, fat, and sugar. The first three classes were often totally unavailable during this period because of late winter shortages. While Christian festivals such as Corpus Christi were Church-sanctioned celebrations, Carnival

4263-452: The eighteenth century and was demolished in 1791; part of the site was cleared in 1891 for the building of St. Patrick's church . This Carlisle House was on the west side of Soho Square, at the end of Carlisle Street. It was probably built between May 1685 and June 1687 by speculative builders, but is often incorrectly attributed to Christopher Wren in the 1660s for the Earls of Carlisle . It

4350-419: The end of the 18th century, the use and tradition of masks gradually began to decline, until they disappeared altogether. They became popular throughout mainland Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, sometimes with fatal results. In 1792 Gustav III of Sweden was assassinated at a masquerade ball by the disgruntled nobleman Jacob Johan Anckarström , an event which Eugène Scribe and Daniel Auber turned into

4437-421: The end of the year and in the expectation of the new year the mythical moments of the passage of chaos to the cosmogony are repeated". Eliade also writes: "Then the dead will come back, because all barriers between the dead and the living are broken (is the primordial chaos not revived?), and will come back since – at this paradoxical moment – time will be interrupted, so that the dead may be again contemporaries of

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4524-551: The end of the yearly cane harvest, it evolved into a national festival. In the late 20th century, Crop Over began to closely mirror the Trinidad Carnival. Beginning in June, Crop Over runs until the first Monday in August when it culminates in the finale, the Grand Kadooment. Crop Over time for many islanders is one big party. Craft markets, food tents/stalls, street parties, and cavalcades fill every week. A major feature

4611-409: The entire period between Christmas and the beginning of Lent. In those two months, Christian populations used their several holidays as an outlet for their daily frustrations. Many synods and councils attempted to set things "right". Caesarius of Arles (470–542) protested around 500 CE in his sermons against the pagan practices. Centuries later, his statements were adapted as the building blocks of

4698-506: The estranged wife of the third earl inherited it from her mother, the dowager Countess of Essex. Lady Carlisle rented it out from 1718 to 1724 to a James Vernon, possibly either the MP or his son, also an MP , and lived there herself from 1725 until she died in 1752. Her daughter rented it to Thomas Robinson, probably the Secretary of State , and then to the second Baron Chedworth . In June 1756

4785-507: The first being held at Haymarket Opera House . London's public gardens, like Vauxhall Gardens , refurbished in 1732, and Ranelagh Gardens , provided optimal outdoor settings, where characters masked and in fancy dress mingled with the crowds. The reputation for unseemly behavior, unescorted women and assignations motivated a change of name, to the Venetian ridotto , but as "The Man of Taste" observed in 1733: In Lent, if masquerades displease

4872-399: The formal dancing usually less prominent. In present times, masquerade masks are used for costumes during Halloween . Masquerade masks are sold in a wide range of stores in different designs, and colors. The picturesque quality of the masquerade ball has made it a favorite topic or setting in literature . Carnival Carnival or Shrovetide is a festive season that occurs at

4959-425: The full week. This festival "always includes music, dancing, costumes and parades". Comparsas are held throughout the week, consisting of large groups "of dancers dancing and traveling on the streets, followed by a Carrosa (carriage) where the musicians play. The Comparsa is a development of African processions where groups of devotees follow a given saint or deity during a particular religious celebration." One of

5046-443: The higher functions of thought, speech, and the soul by translating them into the grotesque body , which serves to renew society and the world, as a release for impulses that threaten the social order that ultimately reinforces social norms, as a social transformation, or as a tool for different groups to focus attention on conflicts and incongruities by embodying them in "senseless" acts. Furthermore, some cultures use Carnival as

5133-507: The house was bought by John Delaval, later first Baron Delaval , and in March 1764, through a proxy, by Domenico Angelo , the Italian fencing and riding master. He built a riding school in the rear, took in pupils as boarders at 100 guineas (£105) a head, and made the house into London's pre-eminent school of arms and manners. However, he apparently left the house in the early 1780s and after that it

5220-400: The house, creating several sumptuously furnished rooms in the rear of the house along Sutton Street, in particular a concert-hall or ballroom 93 feet (28 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide with a supper-room underneath it 80 feet (24 m) long and 34 feet (10 m) wide and a "Chinese bridge" connecting the house proper to the new rooms. This may have been by Thomas Chippendale , who

5307-491: The house. In April 1760 it was rented for £180 a year to Teresa (or Theresa) Cornelys , an entertainer and courtesan born in either Vienna or Venice and mother of Casanova 's daughter, who had used her married name, Pompeati, in her previous stay in London as an opera singer, and now called herself Madame Cornelys from the first name of her Rotterdam lover, Cornelis de Rigerboos. She made extensive renovations and extensions to

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5394-547: The living." Eliade speculates that people have "a deep need to regenerate themselves periodically by abolishing the elapsed time and making topical the cosmogony". As regards masks (monsters, animals, demons), he assigns them an apotropaic meaning. For the Canary Islands, see its section under Europe. Carnival was introduced by Portuguese settlers. It is celebrated on each of the archipelago's nine inhabited islands. In Mindelo , São Vicente , groups challenge each other for

5481-478: The local air-raid warden, who had been having tea together. The site of the house was occupied by offices at numbers 10–12 Carlisle Street, built in 1959–60, until their replacement by the Nadler Soho hotel. On the site of the garden and later of the riding academy is Film House, the former headquarters of British Pathé . The other Carlisle House was a large mansion on the east side of Soho Square, at

5568-428: The meat would no longer be preservable. All the food that had survived the winter had to be eaten to assure that everyone was fed enough to survive until the coming spring would provide new food sources. Traditionally, the feast also was a time to indulge in sexual desires , which were supposed to be suppressed during the following period fasting. Before Lent began, all rich food and drink were consumed in what became

5655-435: The mold, and iron and steel for structure. Carnival São Nicolau is celebrated over three days: dawn Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and Tuesday. The celebrations are captured in the award-winning feature documentary Tchindas , nominated at the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards . Carnival was introduced by German settlers. The celebration is based on the "Rheinische" Carnival tradition. The Seychelles carnival began in 2011. It

5742-437: The most popular comparsas of Fiesta de Carnaval is the male group comparsa, usually composed of notable men from the community who dress up in outlandish costumes or cross-dress and dance to compete for money and prizes. Other popular activities include body painting and flour fighting. "On the last day of Carnival painters flood the street to paint each other. This simply means that a mixture of water paint and water or raw eggs

5829-495: The opera Gustave III . The same event was the basis of Giuseppe Verdi 's opera A Masked Ball , although the censors in the original production forced him to portray it as a fictional story set in Boston. Most masks came from countries like Switzerland and Italy. A Swiss count who arrived in Italy in 1708, is credited with introducing to London the Venetian fashion of a semi-public masquerade ball, to which one might subscribe, with

5916-487: The quick auction did not attract any other bidders and their agents were able to purchase it for £10,200; the other creditors were unsuccessful in trying to have the proceedings nullified. Until 1780, the owners attempted to revive the house's popularity for soirées, with some participation from Mrs. Cornelys but without success. They then announced an Academy of Sciences and Belles Lettres, with instruction for foreigners in 'the language, constitution and customs of England' and

6003-402: The returning of the daylight. Winter would be driven out, to make sure that fertility could return in spring. A central figure of this ritual was possibly the fertility goddess Nerthus . Also, there are some indications that the effigy of Nerthus or Freyr was placed on a ship with wheels and accompanied by a procession of people in animal disguise and men in women's clothes. Aboard the ship

6090-502: The sacred order. In 1466, in festivies sponsored by Pope Paul II , Jews were forced to race naked through the streets of the city of Rome. Clement IX stopped these practices and in their place assessed a heavy tax on the Jews to help pay for the costs of the city's Carnival celebrations. Some of the best-known traditions, including carnal parades and masquerade balls , were first recorded in medieval Italy . The Carnival of Venice was, for

6177-410: The season: What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica: Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum And the vile squealing of the wry-nck'd fife, Clamber not you up o the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces. Traditionally, a Carnival feast was the last opportunity for common people to eat well, as there was typically

6264-573: The source of both the name and the parade floats . The characteristics of the celebration of Carnival take their origins from ancient European festivals, such as the Greek Dionysian (the Anthesteria ) or the Roman Saturnalia . During these festivities, there was a temporary release from social obligations and hierarchies to make way for the overthrow of order, joking and even debauchery. From

6351-416: The south corner of Sutton Street, with rear buildings on Sutton Street and in Hog Lane, now Charing Cross Road . This was the main house on the square. The first definitely known occupant of this house, in 1685, was Edward Howard, second Earl of Carlisle . While Lady Carlisle lived in the other Carlisle House, this one was the residence of her son, Lord Morpeth , who became the fourth Earl in 1738. There

6438-633: The subjects dressed as if they were attendees, but evidence is scant, according to Jennifer Van Horne, that colonials in North Americans actually had the events. Its prominence in England did not go unchallenged; a significant anti-masquerade movement grew alongside the balls themselves. The anti-masquerade writers (among them such notables as Samuel Richardson ) held that the events encouraged immorality and "foreign influence". While they were sometimes able to persuade authorities to their views, particularly after

6525-532: The termination of these festivities. Carlisle House, Soho#Carlisle House, Soho Square Carlisle House was the name of two late seventeenth-century mansions in Soho , London , on opposite sides of Soho Square . One, at the end of Carlisle Street, is sometimes incorrectly said to have been designed by Christopher Wren ; it was destroyed in the Blitz . The other was the location of Madame Cornelys' entertainments in

6612-680: The throwing of water balloons . Carnival in Aruba means weeks of events that bring colourfully decorated floats, contagiously throbbing music, luxuriously costumed groups of celebrants of all ages, King and Queen elections, electrifying jump-ups and torchlight parades, the Jouvert morning: the Children's Parades, and finally the Grand Parade. Aruba's biggest celebration is a month-long affair consisting of festive "jump-ups" (street parades), spectacular parades, and creative contests. Music and flamboyant costumes play

6699-510: The town, Call 'em Ridottos and they still go down. A standard item of masquerade dress was a "Vandyke", improvised on the costumes worn in the portraits of Van Dyck : Gainsborough's Blue Boy is the most familiar example, and a reminder of the later 18th-century popularity in England for portraits in fancy dress. Throughout the century, it is thought that masquerade dances became popular in Colonial America , however, portraits featured

6786-504: The weakened medieval tradition also revived. Continuously in the 18th and 19th centuries CE, as part of the annual abuse of the Carnival in Rome, rabbis of the ghetto were forced to march through the city streets wearing foolish guise, jeered upon and pelted by a variety of missiles from the crowd. A petition of the Jewish community of Rome sent in 1836 to Pope Gregory XVI to stop the annual abuse

6873-582: The word Carnival thus points to a Christian origin of the celebratory period. Other scholars argue that the origin of the word is a common meat-based country feast (in Latin carnualia ) or the festival of the Navigium Isidis ("ship of Isis"), where the image of Isis was carried to the seashore to bless the start of sailing season. The festival consisted of a parade of masks following an adorned wooden boat, called in Latin carrus navalis , possibly

6960-750: Was The Black and White Ball . It held on November 28, 1966, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City . Hosted by author Truman Capote , the ball was in honor of the Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham . Masquerade masks were worn delicately by the prosperous class at balls. Masquerade masks had many uses including hiding one's identity, and using different colour to express one's freedom of speech and voice one's emotions and opinions without judgement. There were two types of base masquerade masks; black masks and white masks. Designs and patterns were created over

7047-480: Was a three-storey house of brown brick with stone band-courses separating the storeys and a triangular pediment ornamented with egg-and-dart moulding below and leaf moulding above. The railings in front were probably a later addition, and fine plasterwork had been added in about 1740 to the staircase and one of the rooms on the first floor. The house's association with the Carlisles did not begin until 1717 or 1718, when

7134-455: Was also a manifestation of European folk culture . In the Christian tradition, fasting is to commemorate the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the desert , according to the New Testament , and also to reflect on Christian values. It was a time for catechumens (those converting to Christianity ) to prepare for baptism at Easter. Carnival in the Middle Ages took not just a few days, but almost

7221-588: Was also a manifestation of medieval folk culture . Many local Carnival customs are claimed to derive from local pre-Christian rituals, such as elaborate rites involving masked figures in the Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht . However, evidence is insufficient to establish a direct origin from Saturnalia or other ancient festivals. No complete accounts of Saturnalia survive, and the shared features of feasting, role reversals, temporary social equality, masks, and permitted rule-breaking do not necessarily constitute

7308-565: Was also the custom during Carnival that the ruling class would be playfully mocked using masks and disguises . In the year 743, the synod in Leptines (located near Binche in Belgium) spoke out furiously against the excesses in the month of February. Also from the same period dates the phrase: "Whoever in February by a variety of less honorable acts tries to drive out winter is not a Christian, but

7395-571: Was denied: "It is not opportune to make any innovation." In the Rhineland in 1823, the first modern Carnival parade took place in Cologne . Carnaval ( Karneval , Fasching or Fastnacht in Germany) mixed pagan traditions with Christian traditions. Pre-Lenten celebrations featured parades, costumes and masks to endure Lent's withdrawal from worldly pleasures. Other areas developed their own traditions. In

7482-403: Was divided between numerous tenants, mostly in the arts, including a wood carver, an art restorer and several prominent painters. A Masonic lodge met in the ballroom. Charles Dickens is thought to have used the house as his model for the lodgings of Dr. Manette and his daughter Lucie in A Tale of Two Cities . In 1860 it became a Home for Clerical, Medical and Law Students, managed by

7569-473: Was one of her many creditors. She used the house to host sensational balls and masquerades, and beginning in 1771, also put on unlicensed operatic performances, for which she was fined. She was eventually arrested, imprisoned and declared bankrupt in 1772, after spending £5,000 in the previous five years alone. The assignees and a group of creditors agreed to offer up the house and its furnishings at auction in its entirety and to jointly bid up to £15,000, but

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