VENICE, Italy -- In another year, masks would be a sign of the gaiety in Venice, an accessory worn for games and parties as big crowds parade about to show off their frivolous, fanciful costumes ...

Once a year, however, the people of Venice don decadent costumes and masks to match, transforming the streets of this ancient city into a lavish masquerade that goes on for weeks. This is Carnival ...

So appealing was this anonymity that by the 18th century, many wore masks for as long as six months a year. When the Republic of Venice fell to Austria in 1797 the new rulers outlawed both the ...

Shkodër (Albania) (AFP) – As carnival celebrations are held across the globe, more than two dozen craftsmen in a quaint studio in northern Albania put the final touches on a series of elegant ...