Italy: The fascinating Venice Carnival 2022 makes a comeback after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.

Venice, the "City of Love," welcomes back 80,000 visitors.

With the number of Covid-19 infections gradually decreasing in recent weeks, Italian authorities have decided to reschedule the Venice Carnival 2022. Previously, due to Covid-19, the Venice Carnival 2020 was only held for locals, and the Venice Carnival 2021 was canceled. Italy hopes that the Venice Carnival 2022 will contribute to the recovery of tourism, which is showing more positive signs.

According to the schedule, the Venice Carnival 2022, themed "Remembering the Future," will run from February 12th to March 1st on a smaller scale to avoid huge crowds and minimize the risk of spreading Covid-19, especially with the emergence of the new Omicron variant. Prior to the Venice Carnival 2022, Italy lifted the mask mandate, but the city of Venice still requires residents and tourists to wear masks in crowded areas.

In just the first two days after its launch with the "Preview" weekend (February 12-13), despite being smaller in scale compared to 2019, the Venice Carnival 2022 still created a tourism boom with over 100,000 visitors registering to attend.

Of the approximately 55,000 tourists who flocked to Venice on February 13 alone and spent the night in the "City of Love" to celebrate Valentine's Day,Valentine's Day, February 14thThere were approximately 25,000 foreign tourists. The largest group was French tourists (23.58%). This was followed by British tourists (12.97%), Spanish tourists (12.89%), and German tourists (7.24%).

The magnificent Venice Carnival 2022 left a captivating impression with its Son-et-lumiere (nighttime entertainment program using light and sound effects) performance called "Venezia lux futura" (Venice's luxurious future) on the Grand Canal (the canal that forms the famous S-shaped transport route, taking tourists to most of Venice's tourist attractions).

Despite the scale reduction, the spectacular main performances will continue until the end of Venice Carnival 2022, and organizers hope to attract even more visitors. This is especially true as the event reaches its climax on March 1st – the closing day of Venice Carnival 2022.

"It's a little different because the atmosphere is quieter, there aren't as many festival events as before. But we'll be having our own parties and festivals, so it will still be fun," Tylaz.net quoted female tourist Fiona Spagnuolo as saying.

“For me, these festive costumes symbolize rebirth. By wearing this outfit, I hope to contribute to bringing a small masquerade festival here, as well as witness many spectacular mask performances at Venice Carnival 2022,” said Matteo, a male tourist from Vicenza.

EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT SENSATION AT VENICE CARNIVAL

The Venice Carnival has a long history dating back to 1162. The festival is held during the final "relaxed" period before Lent – ​​the 40 days leading up to Easter, traditionally. Attending the Venice Carnival offers a unique sense of anonymity, allowing people to let loose and have fun. They wear the magnificent costumes of 18th-century lords and ladies and hide their faces behind eerie Venetian masks.

The Venice Carnival creates an enchanting allure with its wild and extravagant parties, dazzling and vibrant dances, endless parades, spectacular historical reenactments, and numerous fun and mischievous entertainments. In particular, the iconic scenery of Venice provides the most magical backdrop for massive crowds, making them feel as if they are transported back in time in a truly unique way.

But the defining characteristic that defines the essence of Venice Carnival, perhaps unmatched by any other masquerade festival in the world, is the traditional Venetian masks. Venetian masks are handcrafted, intricately designed, decorated in the Baroque style, and feature bright colors or luxurious gold and silver plating.

The most famous is the Bauta mask, which covers most of the face, leaving only the mouth and chin exposed for eating and talking. Other popular types include the Columbia mask, which only covers the eyes; the Plague Doctor mask, with its strangely long nose; and the plain white Volto mask, which completely covers the face and is often paired with a black hood to add to its mysterious appearance.

Experiencing Venice Carnival is something that almost every traveler wants to have at least once in their lifetime, especially the feeling of being "anonymous" amidst the vibrant and enthusiastic crowd. At that time, anyone can participate in the craziest activities without fear of discrimination, even... wearing nothing, as long as they wear a mask to cover their face as required.

Thanh Nguyen