The Ovodda Carnival takes place on Ash Wednesday (Mehuris de Lessia). It is characterized by a strong identification of the community with its centuries-old traditions. The main character is Don Conte, an anthropomorphic male puppet, sometimes hermaphrodite; who wears a large colored tunic from which a big belly made of rags shines that covers the iron soul that supports him. The face, which may change from year to year, is made with cork or papier-mâché peels, false mustaches and other elements. It has accentuated genitals that, together with the baby bump, give it a ridiculous appearance that fuels the satirical vein of carnival. It is carried around the country on a donkey cart and decorated with vegetables, animal skins and other extravagant objects.
The sound of a cowbell kicks off the festivities. Thus begins a grotesque procession in which all the people who want to participate join. There are no mandatory routes, the cart wanders through the streets of the town all day long; there are no rules, people can follow the route, disperse in groups, get lost and meet again; there are no barriers that delimit those who do the show from those who watch it. The parade that accompanies Don Conte through the streets consists of SOS Intintos, men with their faces smeared with soot, generally dressed in rags, old clothes, sheets or blankets but also with long sheepskin shepherds or with leather legs and velvet clothes, typical clothing of Barbarian shepherds. Some of them, the Intinghidores, have the task of smearing burnt cork powder (zinziveddu) on the faces of those they meet along the way; the gesture represents the ritual of entering the party, whose chaos and anarchy are accepted.
A rich banquet is set up in the square and the typical dance (su ballu tundu) is improvised around the fire and the sound of the accordion. Some young people go from house to house to ask the question (these are usually food items such as sweets, fruits and various dishes). The masks, riding donkeys or keeping all kinds of animals on a leash, roam around the town, while screams, rhythmic songs, occasional instruments and cowbells create a strong confusion, typical of this event.
The arrival of sunset marks the end of Don Conte who is first executed, then burned and finally thrown into an escarpment on the outskirts of the town. From that moment on, the community has gathered around the rich banquet at a time of strong social aggregation. The festivities end at midnight and with the return to normal life, order is restored.

The masks
Don Conte: an anthropomorphic male puppet who wears a large colored tunic, has a big belly made of rags that covers the underlying iron structure. The face, different from year to year, is made with cork or papier-mâché peels and a fake mustache.
Sos Intintos: men with a black face of soot, dressed in rags, old clothes, sheets or blankets but also velvet clothes, with long sheepskin in black orbace and leather legs. Among them, the Intinghidores have the task of smearing burnt cork powder on the faces of those they meet along the way.

History
There are several elements that differentiate this event from other Barbarian carnivals. The fact that it takes place on Ash Wednesday (Mehuris de Lessìa) and the total absence of institutional bodies in the organization of the event or the lack of any type of propaganda. The rejection of standardization leads people from Ovoda to fully recover their cultural identity; the event is due to the spontaneity and creativity of the inhabitants who actively participate in the creation of this “extreme theater” reliving moments from the past in the present, driven by a collective need to rediscover their memory. But it is also a day dominated by transgression that allows the community to exorcise in a liberating way, abandoning itself to screams, deafening noises, collective drinking and dancing, social changes and transformations. There is little information about the origins of the Ovoda Carnival masks. It tells of a powerful and feared man, Don Conte, who took possession of Ovodda many years ago at an unknown time. Only after long years of abuse did the community rebel and execute him. From that day on, the people of Ovody would recall the episode every year. Carnival is not impersonated as a god who dies and is then cyclically reborn, but portrayed as a historically occurring event. The protagonist is born and dies on the first day of Lent, a moment dedicated by the Catholic Church to prayer and repentance.
Once the Don Conte was represented by the “village idiot”, today a big puppet is used that is taken around the town to ask for alms. Sos Intintos represent the subjugated subjects who celebrate their conquered freedom. The use of zinziveddu is linked to episodes of revolt, probably during the Spanish domination, since the use of blackening the face was widespread among the rebels to blend in in the dark.
Once upon a time, the exclusive color of this day was black and this anniversary was reserved only for men who wore widowed clothes and indulged in a thousand licentiousness. Over the years, the festival has undergone various transformations, both in the way of disguising itself and in the way of painting its face, but the most important change concerns the participation of women in the parade.