Carnival of Venice

Hello from my home. My name is Marco, and I live in a special city called Venice. Our city is like a big, watery playground. We do not have roads for cars. Our streets are made of water, and we ride in beautiful boats called gondolas. I am a mask-maker. I use paint and brushes to make happy, silly, and beautiful faces for my friends to wear. The most exciting time of the year is here. It is time for the Carnival, a big, wonderful party for everyone.

Getting ready for the Carnival is so much fun. I get my paints ready—red, blue, gold, and every color you can dream of. I paint swirls and stars on the masks. Then, I add special touches. I glue on sparkly glitter that shines in the sun and soft, colorful feathers that tickle your nose. When the party starts, the whole city becomes a rainbow. Everyone wears their favorite costumes and their special masks. We all go to the big, open square to celebrate together. There is happy music for dancing and yummy sweet treats to eat. Confetti, like tiny paper raindrops, falls from the sky. We laugh and play and dance all day long. It is the best party in the world.

Do you want to know the secret of the Carnival. It is the masks. When we wear a mask, nobody knows who we are. It is a fun game of pretend. A king can dance with a baker, and a princess can share a cookie with a fisherman. We are all just friends having fun together. The masks make everyone feel happy and a little bit silly. This wonderful party still happens every year in my city of Venice. Maybe one day, you can wear a mask and come dance with us, too. It would be so much fun.