Many uninitiated people are sure that the carnival costume has a homeland in Brazil, Spain or France, where the most colorful, enchanting, unforgettable and noisy carnivals are held annually, gathering people from all over the world. Or from America, where for many centuries they have been popular . But this is a mistake, because the earliest references to carnival costumes came to us from distant antiquity.
Appearance story
When studying the history and life of the people of Ancient Rome, scientists found confirmation that all kinds of festivities and entertainments were held annually on the territory of a powerful state. One of the long-awaited holidays for people was the greeting of the god Saturn. On this day, the population of cities and towns put on hand-sewn costumes. But the main condition for attending such an event was the presence of a mask that hides the face. This condition allowed leveling the social status of the rich and the poor (slaves), who allowed themselves to have fun on an equal footing.
But, according to scientists, Ancient Rome also did not become the ancestor of colorful robes and masks. Such attributes have existed for many centuries in various tribes, where shamans traditionally painted their bodies with natural dyes and built masks from various natural materials. Only in those days it was not done for the sake of entertainment, but for rituals.
Costumes of the Middle Ages
During the strict church laws of the Middle Ages, there were days when you could put on elegant costumes and hide your faces behind masks. Both the rich and commoners enjoyed this right, temporarily erasing the boundaries of the estates.
It was here that it became completely impossible to determine the status of a resident, because the rich purposely dressed up at times as commoners (maids, servants), and the service staff could turn into a wealthy person. Another remarkable fact of the transformations of the Middle Ages is the desire of citizens to accept the image of a real character, and not a fairy / mythical hero. Everyone wanted to try on the images of other people, in order to get away from their true self for a short period, to hide their feelings and failures under the mask.
Russia and the first carnival costumes
At a time when Europe was actively celebrating and dancing, dressing herself in beautiful, expensive and vibrant outfits, Peter the Great hastened to adopt the tradition of reincarnations and began to organize carnivals at the court that resembled Venetian masquerades. The people quickly appreciated the new entertainment and the carnival took root, spreading throughout Russia.
Catherine the Great managed to give this entertainment even greater scope, now not a single New Year could do without reincarnation: even the kids were dressed up in and brought with them on a holiday.
What is hidden under a modern mask?
The present is so tiring for the inhabitants of different countries of the world that many of them began to spend their own kind of “days of reincarnation”. Some countries devote entire weeks to festivities (as in France), others mark memorable dates with just one night (Halloween, New Year, Shrovetide). Regardless of the length of the holiday, people are in a hurry to dress up in a variety of different, sometimes ridiculous, costumes to escape from reality and feel truly happy.
Today it is not at all necessary to sew an outfit yourself, because with the establishment of traditions, special factories have also appeared that produce carnival costumes. There are also private tailors who are ready to create a unique image of the customer, making him amazing and unique. The trend to prepare non-standard outfits for the holidays was also picked up by many Fashion houses of developed countries of the world, which allowed customers to purchase vestments from famous designers.
Immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere, discard the burden of worries, return to childhood, as the distant ancestors did, and let all the holidays be bright, cheerful, memorable!