Going to a masquerade party can mean different things to different people. At Halloween the costume parties are often referred to as masquerade parties, where the guests dress up in Halloween costumes. A masquerade party is not limited to Halloween, and traditionally it was the mask that took precedent over the costume.
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Identification
The term masquerade means to disguise oneself, or to take the appearance of someone else. It can also apply to a social gathering where the guests are wearing masks, costumes or both. Originally, a masquerade party, or masquerade ball, implied the guests were wearing elaborate masks, but today a masquerade party can mean the guest are wearing costumes but not necessarily masks.
History
Masquerade balls were popular with the Italian elite in the 16th century, eventually evolving into carnivals or festivals where the participants wore elaborate masks. The Swiss Count John James Heidegger introduced the masquerade ball to England in the early 1700s when he sponsored a masquerade ball at the Haymarket Opera House. Masquerade balls and the carnival became popular throughout the 18th century.
Effects
The masquerades of the 18th century fostered an environment of erotic exploration. Hidden behind the elaborate masks, the participants experimented with role-reversals and challenged gender identity and sexuality. The masks provided an aura of anonymity, which fostered promiscuous behavior and the loss of sexual inhibition. Today masquerade carnivals, such as New Orleans' Mardi Gras, have earned the reputation as being raucous events.
Features
Traditional masquerade balls often featured a game, in which the guests intentionally wore unrecognizable masks and costumes. The game throughout the evening was to try to deduce the identity of the other guests. Occasionally masquerade balls set the scene for the murder of a guest by an assassin hidden behind a costume. Gustav III of Sweden was assassinated at a masquerade ball.
Significance
The terms masquerade and carnival have been interlaced since the first Carnival di Venezia. This Venetian Carnival is believed to be the oldest carnival and may have begun in the 11th Century. A fundamental feature of the carnival was the mask. Mask makers, called mascareri, were given their own guild in 1436. There were various types of Venetian masks. There were fantasy masks, commedia dell' Arte masks, modern and traditional and angel masks. Harlequin and Pierrot masks were commedia dell' Arte, and the half-white, nose-covering masks are considered traditional.
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