N. 4 Aprile 2007
We are in the period of Carnival, a very popular feast all over the world and in Italy
too. We want to tell you something about our most popular masks and traditions.
Carnival has always been the children’s feast, but it also involves adult people. This
feast has religious origins: it is directly connected with Easter, in fact Carnival is
celebrated the week before Easter. The word Carnival comes maybe from the
medieval Latin word “carnem levare”, that is “cutting meat” from the catholic
prohibition to eat meat during Lent. Masks are the real protagonists of Carnival. The
most ancient Italian mask is “Arlecchino” dating back to the XVI century. He came
from Bergamo, but later he moved to Venice. Other popular Italian masks are
“Pulcinella” from Naples, “Balanzone” from Bologna, “Gianduia” from Turin,
“Stenterello” from Florence, “Brighella” from Bergamo and the only female mask
“Colombina” from Venice.
ARLECCHINO
He is the most famous, ancient and popular Italian mask. He is
the symbol of the joker and speaks in the Venice dialect. His
dress is bright and full of colours.
PANTALONE
He is a very popular Venice mask. He was also called “the
first old man” and spoke the language of Venice. Maybe his
name comes from “San Pantaleone”, one of the most
celebrated saints in Venice. Others say that his name comes
from “Piantaleoni”, that is the name given to merchants who
planted “St. Mark’s lion” in the lands they conquered to set
commercial colonies. It also derives from “Panta Leonda”,
that is “powerful in all things”.
BRIGHELLA is Arlecchino’s fellow. He also comes from
Bergamo, but he is not a servant like Arlecchino. He does a lot of
jobs (and not always honest) and when heis in troubles he uses
reason (not legs as Arlecchino does) to escape from punishment.
BALANZONE
He is the mask of the town of Bologna. He is a doctor, but not a
good doctor. He is a very vain person.
COLOMBINA
She is a maid and was born in the XV century. She used to
laugh of lovers’ pains. She was called “Columbine” , because
a famous actress who played her role, brought under her arm
a basket with two doves inside it. She delivers secret messages
and arranges secret meetings. She is sometimes a liar, but
only for helping people. She is vain and nice.
TARTAGLIA
He is a mask from Naples. He is always angry for hia default, in fact he is a
stammerer and this fact causes him serious problems with communicating.
MENEGHINO
He is a mask from Lombardia, a region in north Italy. He
always laughs of aristocrats’ defaults and vices.
“Domenghin” was the nickname given to servants, who
accompanied noble women for a walk on Sundays.
BEPPE NAPPA
He remembers the mask of Pierrot, but unlike him he is
not melancholic. He represents a Sicily lazy-bones, who
is always sleepy and yawns.
FARINELLA
He is the symbol of Carnival in Putignano, a
nice town near Monopoli, in Puglia. His
name comes from “farinella” ( “a povele” in
our local dialect), that is a poor food
composed of a mixture of chickpeas and
roasted barley flour. His aspect is like that of
a jolly, with a bright and coloured dress and
jingle bells on his hat, shoes and collar.
ROSAURA
She is Pantalone’s daughter and is fallen in love with
florindo, a courageous but not rich knight, so
that Pantalone doesn’t want him to marry Rosaura.
RUGANTINO
The Roman Rugantino represents the typical roman “braggart”
or “boaster”. He often tells lies or tells exaggerated things, so
he is often in troubles and also hurt by people who are offended
by him.
PULCINELLA
He is often Arlecchino’s rival, above all in love intrigues. He is
one of the most famous and popular Italian masks and is the
symbol of his town, Naples, because he is generous and
spontaneous. He is always hungry and in search of something to
eat.
Carnival in Italy
Carnival is celebrated in many Italian towns, but the most famous of them is the one
in Venice. Also in Putignano and Viareggio there are two very famous Carnival
feasts with wonderful mask parades and people floating along the roads ,laughing,
joking and singing. In occasion of Putignano and Venice’s Carnival lotteries are also
organised and people who buy the lucky ticket can win a big sum of money.
Tell us something about your carnival tradition. We are curious and we don’t look
forward to hearing from
you soon.
The pupils of the computer lab class IG
St. Valentine’s day (14 february)
In these days St. Valentine‟s day is celebrated all over the world. Do you know that in 176 he was
bishop of Terni, that is an Italian town. We also know the reason why he is
considered the patron of lovers. The story tells that he was imprisoned and
martyrized because he didn‟t want to renounce to the Christian faith . While he
was in prison before the capital punishment he fell in love with the blind
daughter of the guardian.
According to the legend he gave her sight again thanks to a miracle. He also left her
a farewell love message signed “by your Valentine”.
In Italy lovers exchange presents (above all flowers) on St. Valentine‟s day.
The images of lovers of Peynet
They were born from the pencil of Raymond Peynet, French artist, in the distant 1942 and very
famous in Italy, as all over the world.
Saint Joseph’s bonfires in Monopoli.
Joseph‟s Day is in Monopoli on the 19th of March: a
symbolic tradition is the burning of big fires fed by
wood piles.
Two weeks before the 19th of March boys meet
together and go searching for woods: there is a high
excitement through the historical centre of the
town, in its narrow streets, in the squares in front of
churches… everybody goes searching for old
boards, tables, wooden material which are
sacrificed for the bonfires… the fronts of each
house is lighted by gigantic bonfires and flames
often become very high and dangerous. In circle
around the fires, boys turn around the flames; when
the flames
are quite
over, they
jump on
the embers singing, while other boys try to
feed the fire. This feast is often organized by
the St. Joseph‟s Confraternity in San
Leonardo Street, but sometimes people
organize, in front of each bonfire, little
musical and folkloristic spectacles and offer
sweets, bakes, “zeppole” and “focaccia” to
all visitors.
“Le Zeppole” of Saint
JosephThe mother’s
festivity
The traditions in the spring in our country
Saint Annunziata’s Fair
Saint Annunziata‟s Fair was introduced by
Roberto D‟Angiò, or by his nice Giovanna
I, about in 1358. Everybody could deal his
goods paying nothing to the Government.
The fair begun with Jesus‟ Annunciation,
on the 25th March and it lasted for eight
days; it took place in an area which
covered the municipal park, the port,
Plebiscito‟s square and Garibaldi‟s road.
Nowadays the fair is one of the finest
moments of the year; in the fair you can
buy everything: clothes, flowers, books,
toys, costume jewellery tools for work as
well and lots of other things.
Palm Sunday
In our town Palm Sunday is celebrated so: some days
before the Palm Sunday you get some olive branches or
some palm leaves, which symbolize peace. On Sunday
morning you make them bless. Sometimes on Palm
Sunday morning some people sell olive branches and
palm leaves blessed door-to-door.
Sometimes olive branches are painted with gilded-paint
or silver-plated paint.
As a sign of peace people give each other olive branches.
The Holy Week
Long time ago in the town came lots of people
from the nearby countries.
On Tuesday the first procession comes out with
the figure of Our Grieved Lady, which crosses all
the town roads. On Friday the second procession
comes out. It is the Mysteries‟ Procession which
starts from Saint Francis of Assisi‟s church. In
this church for all the year the figure of the
Mysteries are kept (Jesus in the field, Jesus at the
column, Jesus with the cross. All these figure
describe the Jesus‟ Passion).
In front of the queue of people, in the procession,
there are the figures which are carried by
shoulders, by religious congregations. Walking
in the procession you can hear a noise; this is the noise of the crackle( “trènele”
which means whimper in Greek).
They are some woods on which are fixed in row, the door knockers; when they are
shaken, they make a very string noise.
They were introduced in 1600 instead of the women paid crying for the dead. The
procession stops some minutes in front of the
Purgatorio‟s Church ( Our Lady of the
Suffrage). The Confraternity‟s members bring
on their shoulders Our Grieved Lady‟s figure,
which follows in procession Jesus‟ figure. On
Holy Saturday midday bells get free from the
dead sadness and pain and start singing to
celebrate Jesus‟ Resurrection day.
Easter
The Easter period goes from the 25th of March
to the 25th of April. This festivity happens in
the same period of the year both for Jewish and
Christian religion. For Jewish, Easter is the
commemoration of the escape from Egypt,
towards the Promise Earth, guided by Moses.
For Christians, it commemorates the Christ‟s
passion and resurrection.
With the Last Dinner, Jesus brakes the bread and
shares it with his disciples, offering his body as
sacrifice for all humanity.
This episode gives a particular value to food, respect
to the other festivities.
People give eggs, true or made of chocolate, as a re-
birth and fertility symbol: in
fact, this period coincides
with the start of spring.
We can find other symbols in Easter sweets, like the
marzipan lambs, the doves and the cakes whose shapes
seem like the thorn crown on Jesus‟ head.
On Easter Sunday people relax in their families, eating
lamb and boiled eggs (on eggs shells our ancestors used to
do lots of decorations). On Easter Monday it‟s the pic-nic
day, according to the weather. At the seaside or in the
countryside, the best things it is meeting with friends and
relatives and spending the whole day outside, now that
spring has finally closed the doors to winter.
The mother’s festivity
On the second Sunday of may, in
Italy and mithe world, children of
all ages will bring their mothers
flowers, sweets, presents and small
gifts.
The origins of this festivity date
back in the centuries and in the peoples till
ancient Greeks and Romans who celebrated
dimities of fertility in this period of the year.
In the month of may, infect, nature‟s rebirth is
more evident and joyful, in the explosion of
flowers and scent‟s spread by the first warm air.
The festivities in may = The flowers festivity
In this period of the year Romans greeted spring „s
arrival with religious rites and popular festivities in
honour of Earth‟s timidities.
Roman festivities in the month of may were destined to
give a good reception to spring and, above all, to flowers
and in particular to roses.
Romans loved this flower very much, not only as a
decorative abject, but also in their daily life: roses
marmalade, wines with roses fragrance, roses petals
scattered in the dinners and the houses.
For this reason they deducted a whole week to the nature rebirth with “Floralie”, in
honour of flora, the flowers divinity.
These tradition are still alive in many
Europeans countries.
Monopoli festivals
are as many as its 91 districts, scattered all over the
countryside near the town.
They take place from May to September and all are
more or less connected to food and/or wine.
The festivals are organized in the countryside and are
supported by the people living in those districts in
summer.
Common dishes are frittelle , panzerotti (kinds of
pancakes ) roasted chicken or meat on the spit,
sandwiches, orecchiette or meat-balls.
"Panzerotti" recipe: make lots of small disks of dough
and put in the middle of each of them a previously prepared mix of
tomato, mozzarella cut into pieces ,spring ricotta, hot pepper and
salt. The little disk of dough is closed in the shape of a half moon
and is pressed on its edge in order to keep its content while it is fried
in hot olive oil .
Beer or sparkling white wine can be served with panzerotti .
Dragobete, 24 February
Around this day, the birds begin to arrange their nests and mate.
Dragobete, considered the son of Dochia, is, by opposition to the latter, a positive
character. He is the patron of pure love and good will and he is identified with Cupid,
the Roman god of love and with his Greek counterpart, Eros.
During the day, considered locally the first day of spring, the boys and girls pick up
spring flowers and sing together. The unmelted snow still present in many villages
used to be collected and the water obtained used as a magic potion by young girls
during the year.
The tradition is well kept especially in the villages of Oltenia, a region in the south of
Romania. However, a good place to witness it is the Village Museum of Bucharest
(the capital of Romania), where bands of villagers from various regions celebrate
Dragobete by playing instruments, dancing and singing.
1st of March – 1 Martie
The month of February is gone … we turn another page from our calendar … and the
Spring is here! That is because the Romanians are celebrating the Spring at the
beginning of the month of March.
According to the old Roman calendar, the 1st of March was the first day of the year
and was celebrating the “Matronalia”, where was celebrated Mars, the god of the
forces of the nature, of Spring and agriculture.
Each year, on the first of March, we are regaining our hope, our optimism and faith in
better. March is the moment in which the people begin to look for snowdrops – as
signs of arrival of Spring. It is now that the frost is beginning to pale before the
sunshine, and after a long and hard Winter, the live, the Sun and the Spring wins.
This triumph of the resurrection and regeneration is invoqued by the “Martisor” that
we give to those that we care, as a small appreciation gift that will bring them
happiness and luck.
WHAT IS THE “MARTISOR”?
The meaning of the “martisor” is the same through the ages: a symbol of Spring, of
rebirth of live. It brings us optimism and faith. The look of it has changed throughout
the time. At first, it was symbolized by a coin. Later it appears as small stones painted
in white and red, on a string. Nowadays, colorful beads, ceramic and flowers have
taken their place.
ORIGIN OF “MARTISOR”
At it‟s beginning, the “martisor” was a gold or silver coin, to which was attached a
string made of two colors – white and red, that symbolized the fight between live and
death, between health and sickness and was weared by sensitive people (children and
young girls). There was the belief according to which this amulet was a luck and
happiness bringer.
Carnival in Poland
Carnival - after an old Polish habit called “zapusty”, is the time from New Year up
to Ash Wednesday. This is a time of pleasure, feasts and dancing which takes place
right before the long fasting period.
A very important day of the carnival is called Fat Thurdsay (Tłusty
czwartek). Poles can enjoy the last days before Lent, which strictly forbids loud
parties and meat dishes. Fat Thursday started in Poland long
ago when Thursday was the traditional day for over-eating
before Friday‟s fast. On Tłusty czwartek, Poles stuff
themselves with “pączeks” while on the following Tuesday,
known as Fat Tuesday throughout the world and the last day
before the official start of Lent (Ash Wednesday), Poles dance and party to burn off
calories and have fun before the season of abstinence. A pączek is defined as “a filled
baked good in a round shape, fried in fat.” The usual filling for pączeks is plum butter
and other marmalades. In recent years, however, the variety of fillings has expanded
to liquour, pudding and even whipped cream.
On this day throughout Poland confectioners sell about ten times more pączeks than
on a regular day. The average pączek is around 7cm and weighs 4.5 dkg. Its caloric
value is 220-230 calories, depending on the filling. To burn this amount of calories,
you need to walk for 2 hours or run for over a half hour.
Mother's Day in Poland
Mother's Day (Dzień Matki) in Poland is celebrated on the
26th of May. On this day children give mums small presents –
chocolates or flowers. They also prepare so called "laurki" for their
mothers. ( laurka - is a sheet of paper decorated with flowers on
which children write their wishes). Mother's Day is marked with the special
celebrations in schools and kindergardens. Schools often carry special ceremonies or
classes to commemorate Mother's Day and pupils give short performances with songs
and poems for their mums.
Children’s Day
The International Children's Day was introduced in Poland in the early fifties
of XX century. It is celebrated on 1st June. It coincides with the beginning of summer
and since it takes place near the end of the school year - it is usually treated as a
holiday. Although children attend schools on this day schools usually organize some
special activities for them - like outdoor plays or the field trips. This day and also the
whole week of the beginning of June is the time of the festivities organized in the
parks and entertainment centers. Parents usually buy some small gifts to their kids -
the smaller the children the bigger the gifts.
On this Day all students from our school usually spend the day on the playground. We have
parties, competitions and play team games (running, jumping, etc.). The tradition is that every year
our teachers perform of a famous fairy tale for us. They dress us as funny characters. It is very
amusing! Later, every child gets a snack such as ice-cream. This day is really enjoyable for all of
us!
The First Day of Spring
On 21st March we celebrate the first day of spring. Children come to school in
colourful clothes. We don‟t have regular classes. There are different competitions.
Last year each class in our school created a special composition from flowers. There
was also a fashion show, where two members from each class presented special
spring clothes. Traditionally, on the first day of spring many children make a big doll,
called “Marzanna” and dress it in colourful clothes. Later, they drown the doll in the
river, which symbolizes the end of winter. Sometimes teachers take the pupils on a
picnic or they go to the forest and they look for flowers. It is a very enjoyable
celebration.
Sinking of Marzanna
Palm Sunday
In Poland we celebrate Palm Sunday (in Polish Niedziela Palmowa) exactly
one week before Easter. It commemorates the day when Jesus arrived to Jerusalem.
He was welcomed by crowds of cheering and happy people holding the branches of
palm trees. Palms are regarded as a symbol of the revival
Nowadays Polish people go to church with palms made of dried flowers, hay or
cereal, such as wheat or oat. They are usually very colourful and have different sizes..
During the mass there is usually a procession around the church with the palms.Some
towns organize competitions for the biggest and most beautiful palms. Palm Sunday
starts a Holy Week which is the most important week in year for Christians.
EASTER
Easter is a very religious holiday in Poland. Before Easter Polish people do a
lot of cleaning and make preparations. On Good Friday, when Jesus Christ died on
the cross we usually go to church and pray for Him. In the evening families decorate
and dye eggs. On Easter Eve we go to church with a basket full of Easter food. In the
basket we have: decorated eggs, ham, bread, butter, lamb, salt, pepper, sausages and
horseradish. The priest blesses the food. On Sunday morning we eat this food for a
special breakfast. Monday is often called "Wet Monday" because on this day people
sprinkle water on their family and friends. This tradition is very funny. We must be
careful because we can be really wet!
Easter Basket Easter Eggs
Every year an Easter performance is organized in our school. These photos are
from the previous year‟s performance. Pupils from class 6 were dressed up as
different characters. It was very funny.
Corpus Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) or Boże Ciało is a public holiday
which is celebrated in June (on a Thursday)all over Poland. The whole village or
town usually becomes involved in a procession through the streets. People decorate
their windows with religious icons. The traffic is stopped and at midday the
procession leaves the Church and the people walk around the streets together
stopping on route at various temporary shrines to pray. The shrines are decorated
with branches from Birch trees, and members of the procession tear off twigs from
these shrines for luck and happiness as they go around the circuit. Girls dressed in
regional costumes or wearing their first communion dresses (which look like white
wedding dresses) scatter rose and other flower petals on the streets. These petals are
for Christ, who is believed by Catholics to walk the streets with the people during the
processions. Young boys also wear traditional costumes and they ring a small bell
while they walk through the streets in the procession. Throughout the festival the
Priest walks around under some sort of umbrella held up by four men from the village
or town.
Pâques, origines et coutumes
Pâques est une fête religieuse chrétienne commémorant la résurrection de Jésus-
Christ, le troisième jour après sa crucifixion le vendredi saint. C'est le jour le plus
saint du calendrier chrétien. Il marque la fin du jeûne du Carême. En France, le lundi
de Pâques est férié depuis la loi du mars 1886.
Après le 1er concile de Nicée en 325, il fut décidé que le calcul de la date de Pâques se
ferait selon une règle fixe. Ainsi, Pâques est célébrée le dimanche après le 14ème jour
du premier mois lunaire du printemps. Donc le dimanche après la première pleine lune
advenant pendant ou après l'équinoxe du printemps. Le calcul de la date de Pâques est
assez complexe et connu sous le nom de Comput.
Pâques est une fête dite "d'obligation" dans l'Eglise
1 Mai La fête du travail
Origine : Le 1 mai 1886, la pression syndicale permet à environ 200.000 travailleurs
américains d'obtenir la journée de 8 heures . Le souvenir de cette journée amène les
Européens , quelques années plus tard, à instituer la fête du travail.
Pour la fête du travail, nous offrons du muguet.
These researches have been made and written by the pupils of the
classe 2G helped by their teachers Giovanna Muolo Colonna.
The tests have been translated in English by the pupils helped by
the teacher Valerio Geramo and sent by e-mail to European
friends. Other works have been sent in French by the teacher
Maria Assunta Ostuni and in German by the teacher Geramo