Carnevale
Snow at Rustic Puglia
The beginning of Lent is marked by Carnevale and, although some argue that the history of carneval can be traced back to pre-Christian times, some of the best known traditions like carnival parades and masquerade balls are traced back to medieval Italy. With Lent traditionally being a time of fasting and piousness, one theory is that the word ‘carnevale’ comes from the Latin ‘carne’ meaning meat and ‘vale’ meaning farewell as meat was often forfeited during Lent. In nearby Cisternino there are four days of parades in the late afternoon where all the children dress up in costume plus a welcome break from school with three days’ holiday. This all coincides with some of the coldest weather we’ve had all winter – yet more snow at Rustic Puglia!
