Two Sicilian Carnivals: Acireale and Sciacca

At the foot of Mount Etna lies a coastal town in the northeast of Catania, Sicily, known as Acireale. Every year in January and February, the town hosts one of Sicily’s oldest and biggest carnivals, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Boasting a rich patrimony of surprising popular customs and ancient traditions, the Acireale carnival is celebrated with allegorical and flower-decorated floats, music and dancing, colourful masquerades, folkloric performances and re-enactments and competitions.

The carnival dates back to the 16th century when members of the local aristocracy paraded through the streets throwing confetti to the ordinary citizens as a way of beginning the carnival celebrations.

The locals create huge allegorical floats depicting celebrities, politicians, animals and fantasy creatures made out of paper-maché, which are then pulled through the decorated streets of the city's centre. These floats are unique as some are over 20 metres high and are brought to life with the use of mechanical arms. The streets are also filled with wagons and floats decorated with tens of thousands of flowers.

Just as popular is the carnival celebrated in Sciacca, a small town located in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily. The locals celebrate the event with parades, colourful costumes and decorated floats and impromptu theatrical performances take place on public squares. The official mask symbol of the carnival is Peppe Nappa, a local carnival character who sings and dances along the streets of Sciaccia inviting people to forget their troubles and enjoy the moment. During the celebrations, he distributes generous quantities of sweets, wine and sausages to visitors. Collateral events also include sport competitions and folklore exhibitions. The Sciacca carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday when Peppe Nappa is burned at the stake.

Like all carnivals, the Sciacca Carnival was originally a profane event in defiance of the ecclesiastic rule that forbid the eating of meat on Shrove Tuesday. The act of dressing up represents opposition to rules ordained by the Catholic Church.