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For the inhabitants of Zakynthos, but also for every visitor to the island, the week from the piccolo carnival to the great parade of carnival Sunday means dance, colour and letting yourself go.
Like every year, that what impresses and monopolizes the interest of all is the Venetian wedding in “Tzante” based on the 16th century. An atmospheric custom that travels the viewer centuries back and represents the mansion and rich wedding of the Venetians during the 16th century, that takes place every year in Zakynthos. The custom of the Venetian wedding, inspired and performed in 2005 by the painter Antonis Milanos, is an integral part of the Zakynthian carnival and every year, thousands of visitors and Zakynthians flood the square of Saint Marcos, in order to admire the special scenery and the dazzling costumes, the protagonists of the event. The demonstration of money, power, impressiveness made this marriage unique, and because of the richness and lust of the rich and nobles, it drew the attention of the local community.
Nowadays, the Venetian wedding begins at the square of St. Pavlos and makes it’s way through the main streets of the town of Zakynthos and finally ends at St.. Marcos, where the wedding takes place.
The magnificent procession of the wedding opens with drummers and flagbears. First are the newlyweds and their close relatives. The in laws (grandmother) is transported in what is called a Lentika (a shuttle of exceptional art in which the nobles were carried in), while following the bride’s dowry carried in a wooden crafted chest. The procession is framed by the guests, who wear exact copies of 16th-century costumes, while girls hold baskets with rose petals and bonbonniere (confetti). Then follows the wedding feast, with renaissance dances and many local traditional dishes such as sugar sweets (koufeta/ κουφέτα), bitter oranges (soumada/ σουμάδα) and a type of doing a cake known as pantespani/ παντεσπάνι).
Even for the Zakynthians, carnival means “omilies” that are played almost every day during carnival in the squares of the villages around Zakynthos.
Essentially, these are small, theatrical plays written and interpreted by people in each village who undertake to perform an “omilia” A source of inspiration for the authors of the “omilies” is the daily life by putting in the script satira and witty quotes, always in the Zakynthian traditional dialect, commenting on and satirizing politics, love and reviving the old stories of their villages many times.
We have included a video of the Venetian wedding courtsey of Zante News Times. Click on the link below.
