Carnival, an annual two-week celebration in Venice, Italy, officially kicked off on January 23.
Carnival dates back to the 11th century and is a celebration leading up to the Roman Catholic season of Lent.
Traditionally, Carnival is a celebration where Italian Catholics would binge eat the various foods that were restricted during Lent. They would then don intricate costumes and masks and take to the streets to party.
This year, the celebration runs through February 9.
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The major Carnival celebrations are held in St. Mark's Square in Venice.
But the two weeks of partying are also celebrated throughout the country.
The word "carnival" is a possible derivative of the Latin word "carnelevarium", which means "to take away meat".
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