Evening with the "Grop de la Mèscres de Cianacei e Gries"
Evening with the "Grop de la Mèscres de Cianacei e Gries", the association that has been preserving the traditions of the Fassa Carnival for the longest time
With "faceres" (wooden masks, custom-made by local artists) and colourful costumes, decorated with ribbons, lace and large cowbells, the members of the "Gròp de la Mèscres de Cianacei e Gries" present the public with characters and rituals that stand out throughout the Alps. In Val di Fassa, in fact, Carnival is the most evocative and popular event of Ladin culture, which is celebrated from 17 January, the day of Saint Anthony Abbot, the patron saint of Alba, until Shrove Tuesday. This pagan festival, which survived the advent of Christianity, uses masks to represent the spirits returning to earth, a ritual of passage reserved exclusively for men.
The folk group of Canazei and Gries, whose origins date back to the early 1960s, was officially formed in 1997, thanks to some young people from the village who were eager to take up this fascinating tradition again. During the performances, which now also include several outings in the summer, there are three main masks that parade: the "Laché", whose job it is to introduce the show with jumps and nursery rhymes; the "Marascons", who move in pairs, jumping and ringing cowbells tied around their waists; and the "Bufon", the most insolent mask, who recites rhyming quatrains and goads those present with his wooden stick.
At 9 p.m. in the "Piaz G. Marconi" square in Canazei. In case of bad weather at the "Marmolada" Cinema Theatre.
