Carnival Season

I like the idea of a winter carnival, even though it does spawn from religion. It seems to be something that most of the world participates in or at least recognizes. A Global Party of sorts. We can stretch the rules a bit, stay up late, make some noise, drink some spirits, dress up as someone else...

Being in Europe has made me more aware of the carnival celebrations in different countries other than the USA. After browsing through carnival info and pictures for my lessons this week, I've decided that I'd most prefer to check out the scene in Venice.

If you're invited to a private ball in Venice, that means adorning a delicate, sparkling mask with an elaborate gown or costume usually involving paint and some type of wig. Disguising your identity for a few nights out carousing, making you indistinguishable as a rich or poor man/woman is a nice idea. Tossing a blanket over ever permanent social class differences for a few days/nights is a refreshing change.

I guess in the words of fellow blogger, Emily: "All good things must come to an end." After all the partying we move from one end of extreme to the other, depending on religious preference. Sacrifice follows. Although, without an end to the celebration, the magic would eventually lose its spark.

Carnival season in my slot of Obuda consists of my Mardi Gras Word Search handouts and distribution of a few purple, gold, green, and silver strings of beads that I brought from home to unaware 3rd graders if they've managed to find the most words. I've discovered that word finds are my secret weapons in this swampy mess of teaching that I've sunk into. They shut those mouths and keep 'em in their chairs.

On Friday, my school will have a carnival ball which they call "Farsang" here. Today, the girls were wearing satiny white dresses and practicing their ballroom dance steps with any boy who happened to walk into the trap.

Even if I don't observe this ball, I will still be just as close to the celebration as anyone else, considering I live in a flat attached to the main hallway of the school.