Travel

Italy celebrates Venice Carnival 2016

Italy celebrates Venice Carnival 2016

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Revelers descended upon St. Mark’s Square, in Venice, Italy over the weekend for this year’s Venice Carnival. Carnival-goers are being asked by police to momentarily lift their masks as part of new anti-terrorism measures for the annual festivities. This year’s Carnival theme is “Creatum” — a new start, or rebirth of Venice’s origins — and runs until Feb. 9.

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Throwing turnips at Spain’s annual Jarramplas Festival

Throwing turnips at Spain’s annual Jarramplas Festival

13 Photos

Armed with turnips, hundreds arrive in Piornal, Spain every year on Saint Sebastian Day to hurl the root vegetable at the Jarramplas, a man dressed as a demon. The centuries-old Jarramplas Festival takes place annually every January 19-20, and this year they expect to use more than 20 thousand kilograms of turnips. Though its origins are unclear, the festival is generally believed to symbolize the expulsion of everything bad.

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Northern Spain’s La Vijanera festival

Northern Spain’s La Vijanera festival

13 Photos

The La Vijanera masquerade, of pre-Roman origin, took place in the small village of Silio, northern Spain, on Sunday. It is the first carnival of the year in Europe symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and involving the participation of crowds of residents wearing different masks, animal skins and brightly colored clothing. The festival has its own complex function and symbolism in becoming the living example of the survival of archaic cults to nature.
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