Cinisi’s Carnival

March 5, 2011 3:00 pm

to

March 10, 2011 10:00 pm

Cinisi is a beautiful town about 12 miles away from Palermo, surrounded by the mountains and  Mediterranean Sea. Carnival is certainly one of the the most important traditions and cultural events in town.

Each year thousands of visitors come to Cinisi to actively take part to celebrate Carnival. The brightly colored and paper-maché floats mounted on carriages are the main attraction of Cinisi’s Carnival. These two-story high floats are put in motion with mechanical movements. The characters, usually of satirical nature, move their arms and heads while strolling along main street of the town. The floats – illuminated and surrounded by masked dancers – create an impressive atmosphere. Loud speakers blast sambas and Latin-American music to which it is impossible to resist.

This year the Carnival celebrations start on Saturday March 5 for five days of thrilling excitement. The arrival of the nannu, a puppet that represents the spirit of Carnival starts the celebrations. In the evening musical bands perform in the town’s main square.  Sunday is the big day of the the Carnival Float Parade to which all school children participate dressed up.

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On Monday, comical performances of improvised actors enchant the public with their original sketches and funny costumes.

On Tuesday the colored floats make their way again along the main street to reach the square where the jury decides which float is the winner of the 2011 Carnival Contest. After that, the
celebrations continue with masquerades and dancing until dawn. Cinisi’s Carnival is popularly known as one of the most involving and most exciting carnivals in
Sicily.

By Maria Lina Bommarito