From Arabic for "mockery" to Venetian masked balls — the masquerade is literally a festival of ridicule turned glamorous.
A party or gathering at which guests wear masks and costumes, or a false show or pretense.
From French mascarade, from Italian mascherata, from maschera meaning mask, possibly from Arabic maskhara meaning buffoon or mockery Key roots: maskhara (Arabic: "buffoon, mockery").
The Venetian masquerade tradition was so powerful that masks were worn not just during carnival but for months of the year. The Venetian Republic eventually had to ban masks during certain periods because citizens were using them to commit crimes and avoid debt collectors with complete anonymity.