The Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Shkodër, in its section Amarcord, published on social networks an old photo from the celebration of carnivals by the Christian community in this city.

The city that celebrated Carnival for the first time in Albania is Shkodra. The first celebrations belong to the second half of the 19th century, precisely in the year 1860, creating a solid tradition that continued until 1946 when, due to the communist regime, it was prohibited to celebrate, only to return again as a tradition after the 1990s.

In 2008, for the first time in the history of carnivals, the carnival anthem with lyrics by Angjelin Deda was presented. The leader and organizer was Zef Deda. Carnival day is a celebration where history and culture intertwine, containing much significance as well as a characteristic mask or color of this festival. It’s a celebration that not only conveys harmony but also breaks away from and disrupts the routine, the daily monotony that characterizes people’s everyday lives.

Carnivals are also known for their satire of unpleasant social phenomena, and on the other hand, Shkodra has the primacy of intellectual , sharp and witty humor. This is one of the reasons why Carnivals for the people of Shkodra are known as the “festival of sly ones” which have found a suitable ground to take root and flourish in this city, where they are celebrated more beautifully than anywhere else in Albania.

/k.s/