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When Did Venetians Wear Masks?
Venetians didn’t wear masks all-year-round, however; there was a time-limit on when they could wear them. The law was that they could wear masks, and enjoy the anonymity they provided, between St Stephens’s Day (December the 26th) and the end of the carnival, which was always midnight on Shrove Tuesday. As the date for Shrove Tuesday changes each year, the amount of time Venetians spent in masks changed from year to year. It’s also worth noting that Venetians were also allowed to wear masks on Ascension, and from October the 5th until Christmas. So, while Venetians couldn’t wear masks all of the time, they could wear them for roughly half of the year!