"""<p><strong>When</strong>: Feb. 8-25</p> <p>Head to Venice during <a href=""""http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/en"""" class=""""link rapid-noclick-resp"""" rel=""""nofollow noopener"""" target=""""_blank"""" data-ylk=""""slk:Carnevale di Venezia"""">Carnevale di Venezia</a>, a two-week celebration that turns this waterside city into a circus spectacular. What makes this party so magical is that carnevale-goers wander around dressed in elaborate masks and clothing replicating nobility and attend masquerade balls and events, including processions and a best-masked costume competition. </p> <p>The origins of this festival are said to date back to 1162, when Venice won a major victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia and the locals gathered to celebrate and dance within San Marco Square. This occasion became a Venetian tradition that would continue until being strictly forbidden in 1797. Luckily, it was fully restored in 1979.</p>"""
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