The mask is a piece made of cardboard or cloth that is used to cover the face and not be recognized, or failing that to protect themselves from some damage or imminent danger, for example, a mask that a policeman or a firefighter put on in order to intervene in a fire and thus not suffer the consequences of inhaling carbon monoxide.
The mask is an element widely used by human beings since ancient times and that has served so much to ceremonial and practical purposes; the Greeks, the Egyptians and even the Romans They have been used in the famous Dionysian festivals, in stage performances, and in Lupercal and Saturnalia.
History
In Ancient Greece, theater actors initially wore masks, which had an opening in the mouth through which sound exited in an amplified way. As a consequence of this original use in the theater, the masks are used today as a symbol of the theater, in reality there are two, one with a sad face and the other with joy.
Later in the Middle AgesThey were also used in religious festivals and in some competitions by those gentlemen who wanted to preserve their identity. And from that time until today, the mask has retained its popularity among humans, even more, its use has proliferated enormously and has diversified over the centuries.
Wide and diverse use
The ceremonial use of the mask to participate in rituals or religious meetings is maintained in several cultures but the use in entertainment has been added, such is the case of birthday parties, weddings, carnivals or other events whose purpose is fun and the celebration and also as face protection at the request of certain jobs in which, as a consequence of using dangerous utensils, it is necessary to protect the face in case of any damage to its mechanics or if handling fails.
In terms of entertainment, masks are usually the great attraction of many parties, in which they are required as part of the fun. For example, there are currently very sophisticated and glamorous designs that are marketed precisely to appear at these events, which can only require the mask without the need to go with a costume, that is, it is not necessary to accompany the concealment of the face with a suit, but the opposite happens, the person dresses up in a dress or ordinary attire for a party and is only asked to wear a prominent and fantastic mask to hide their identity.
For its part, in carnivals the use of masks is also common. Especially at the behest of celebrities who are celebrated in the Italian city of Venice.
And in some sports, such as wrestling, the use of masks by wrestlers has proliferated with the aim of giving the characters that they interpret an aura of mystery.
I hide before an event that complicates
On the other hand, another use of the term is to refer to a pretext or dissimulation in the face of a certain situation that causes embarrassment or that complicates the normal development of a situation. “His ease is not such, it is just a mask to hide his real shyness.”
It turns out to be a fairly recurrent defensive attitude in people acting or being in a totally opposite way to what they really are because in this way they hide some condition that embarrasses them or that they do not want to be known. When a person is shy and introverted, they usually show themselves in opposites in order to hide that natural embarrassment or shyness they feel.
Also people who want to deceive others usually wear masks in this symbolic sense of the word, they show themselves in an absolutely different way than they are in order to achieve the favor of others. Then, over time, when they have achieved their goals, they show their true face, they remove the mask.
The term is widely used as a synonym for mask.
