Carnival of Maiori in Campania 2024: all scheduled events

The origins of the Carnival of Maiori date back to around 1400, and the word comes to life from the Latin "carnem levare" which literally means "eliminate the meat", as it indicated the banquet that was held on the last day of Carnival (crass Tuesday), just before the fasting and abstinence period of Lent. The celebrations mostly took place on crass Thursday and crass Tuesday, i.e. the last Thursday and the last Tuesday in which the carnival days were then closed, given that Lent in Roman history begins with Ash Wednesday.

During the days of celebration it was permissible to let go, free oneself from obligations and commitments and devote oneself entirely to joking and playing. Furthermore, masking made the rich and the poor unrecognizable and thus any type of social difference disappeared. Once the holidays were over, rigor and order returned to dominate society.

If you decide to participate in the Maiori Carnival, you can benefit from an efficient car rental service to get around at your own pace.

By now it is known that Carnival is one of the most eagerly awaited parties of the year, both for the spirit of freedom that is felt in that everyone can get rid of their clothes and commitments for a while, and for dedicating themselves entirely to joking and game.

Below we list some of the oldest and most popular Carnival in Campania:

• Carnival of Saviano: born in 1979, it is one of the "youngest" carnivals in Campania, even if in a few years it has won the title of one of the best in the entire region. A great masquerade party that runs through the streets of the historic center with the impressive parade of allegorical floats that accompanies tourists and locals in an irrepressible party based on songs, dances and laughter.

• Carnival of Palma Campania: the fulcrum of the famous Palmese carnival is undoubtedly the parade of quadrilles, masked groups with well-kept costumes made by local tailors, stage choreographies, dances and songs which are directed by a master who coordinates them during performances in the alleys of the town.

• Carnival of Montemarano: here in the province of Avellino an event is staged that takes its cue from the most ancient traditions. In fact, on the Sunday following crass Tuesday, the traditional masks leave the scene to the "upside down" ones; men dress up as women, young men as old men and so on in a symbolic process where every order is subverted. Furthermore, one of the key events is the Dead Carnival, where a puppet is placed in a small coffin which will then be carried around the city to the rhythm of music. The folk groups stage the carnival funeral, also reading an ironic will in which they bequeath all the debts accumulated to organize the festivities.

• Carnevale di Caiazzo: municipality in the province of Caserta which hosts a somewhat unconventional carnival every year. In fact, famous for its parade with wheelbarrows, the participants in the carnival dress up in typical costumes and masks, then parading along the streets of the city center inside wheelbarrows throwing confetti in the air!

Explore the sumptuous royal flats of the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Throne Room, and the enchanting park sprinkled with lush vegetation benefiting from a ticket by Visit Italy.

The best known masks of the Neapolitan tradition and symbol of the Neapolitan people are mainly two: Pulcinella and Tartaglia. Of the first it is said that he was gullible and a joker. Always ready to concoct some trick and to make jokes and teases to the detriment of those who do not indulge his whims. Pulcinella, famous for his funny way of walking, wears a white shirt with a black belt at the waist and his face half covered by a mask with an aquiline nose. He has a wrinkled face and very small eyes which give him a typical appearance of a rooster.

Tartaglia, on the other hand, is a mask of Genoese origin, which however became very popular in Naples in the second half of the seventeenth century. It is a mask similar to that of the doctor, from which it derives. Clumsy and corpulent, without beard or mustache and with a shaved head, he takes his name from the stuttering he is afflicted with; to it, and to the strong myopia, all his comedy is limited, devoid of human content. Tartaglia's costume originally consisted of a green dress and cape with yellow stripes and a white collar, then later varied in colors and ornaments.

To best sanction the days of celebration that characterize the Carnival of Maiori, we cannot fail to mention the typical traditional desserts. Here in Campania there are several and all of a unique goodness.

Let's see together specifically what they are:

• Chiacchiere (or frappe) now known throughout Italy, see their birth in the Neapolitan city thanks to a request from Queen Margherita of Savoy who had commissioned the court chef to make a dessert suitable for accompanying conversations with her friends. And here it takes its name "chatter".

• The sanguinaccio (black pudding), comes from an ancient recipe of poor cuisine from Campania. In the past, the blood of the pig was used (when nothing of the latter was thrown away) to create a cream to which cocoa was then added to ensure that the chatter was literally soaked in it and enjoyed like this. Since 1992, the recipe no longer provides for the use of pig's blood as this has been prohibited.

• Migliaccio is one of the most famous desserts of Neapolitan cuisine prepared precisely for Carnival and Easter. Its name originates from the Latin word miliaccium which indicates the traditional millet bread. In fact, the simple but tasty recipe involves the use of millet flour and ricotta which make the flavor of the millet unique in its kind.

• Graffe are a dessert that is now prepared all year round and can be found in production in all pastry shops. Typical of the carnival period, it is essentially a very soft and fragrant donut that is served fried, and this is one of the perfect occasions to prepare them at home too.