Carnival is extravagant parades, colorful costumes and gyrating hips, but did you know carnival is also Catholic? The word carnival comes from the Late Latin expression carne vale, meaning “farewell to meat”, referring to the Catholic tradition of Lent when believers give up meat for 40 days preceding Easter. And what a farewell party it has become. You can find bigger parties and bigger parades, but nothing matches the variety and authenticity of carnival in the cradle of Catholicism. I just published an article about the 7 best Italian carnivals on the Europe a la Carte blog. Go give it a read and let me know if I missed one of your favorites.

Tags: Italian carnivals