Carnevale!

Although, technically, the Italian carnival season started on January 7th, immediately after Befana, it is this weekend that many of the comuni start their celebrations in earnest. And to celebrate, I though I would show you a mouth-watering plate of frittelle, the traditional carnival sweet. They are basically little sweet fritters that come in many varieties. These in the picture are stuffed with creme patissiere. Very yummy for breakfast with coffee :)



Carnival is an ancient festival connected with the Catholic Church. During the six-week period of Lent, Catholics prepare for the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus by repenting their sins and living austerely. Traditionally, Carnival which leads up to Lent was a period when people used up all the luxury food items and had parties to get it out of their system before Lent began. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent falls on 17 February this year, so until then 'let the good times roll!'

I am planning to visit one of the local Carnivals next weekend, so should have some pictures to post then.