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A masquerade ceremony (or masked rite, festival, procession or dance) is a cultural or religious event involving the wearing of masks. The practice has been seen throughout history from the prehistoric era to present day. They have a variety of themes. Their meanings can range from anything including life, death, and fertility.
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A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is a special kind of formal ball which many participants attend in costume wearing masks. (Compare the word " masque "—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal " costume parties " may be a descendant of this tradition.
Based on an Igbo legend, masquerades were first introduced to the town of Arondizuogu by Okoye Nwaobi or Okoye Mmonwu ("Okoye the Masquerade"), a villager who employed masked figures to scare away his opponent during a land dispute. [5] Alex Asigbo argued that masquerade cults were developed by male elders as a form of social control.
An Egungun ceremony in Benin - Scholars suggest the regalia (suits) of Mardi Gras Indians have influences from West African ceremonial cultures. [19] In the 1720s, the dance called Calinda (or Kalinda) developed in the Caribbean, based on African martial arts. It was brought to New Orleans by enslaved people from San Domingo and the Antilles.
The highly sophisticated dance helps expand more of the character being portrayed. Throughout the ceremony, the actions of the dancer may be something entirely different from what the person beneath would normally portray. Atmospheric circumstances are another essential element to the success of the masquerade.
Usually there is one major parade each day (weather permitting); many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the Mardi Gras season. In the final week, many events occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities, including parades and balls (some of them masquerade balls).
Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa; Masquerade society, a fictional society in Vampire: The ...