carnival

Tens of thousands turn out to celebrate annual festival that this year saw alcohol-free parades and candy in biodegradable wrappers

Seven-day celebration sees street parties and parades in cities, towns and villages across Catalonia

Seven days of decadence draw to an end on Wednesday with the mysteriously sombre ceremony coinciding with the beginning of Lent

Colorful, eccentric and joyous celebrations underway around Catalonia

The start of the celebrations also saw a food fight in the street in the town of Vilanova i la Geltrú

The second month of the year brings science, lights, love, Carnival and the Chinese New Year

The week-long celebration before Ash Wednesday kicked off in the seaside towns of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sitges with a ‘meringue war’ and the arrival of the Carnival King

Just 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, Sitges draws in tourists every year for its nightlife, beaches, and also for its Carnival celebrations. Starting a week before Ash Wednesday, the city’s streets fill with tourists from all over as well as many commuting in from Barcelona by bus or train. This year, festivities began on the 30^th of January and lasted well into Ash Wednesday on the 10^th of February. Much like celebrations for Mardi Gras, Carnival marks the days leading up to the Lenten season with traditional music, games and royalty. Most of all, tourists arrive to watch a fleet of flashy parade floats and various dance and musical performances in the celebration’s traditional parades or ‘ruas.’ To add to the overall pageantry, groups of participants come dressed in anything from feathered masks to full-on costumes. 

Last night, the coastal town of Sitges located about 35 kilometres south of Barcelona, brought to a close its famous carnival. This event, known for its extravagance and huge number of visitors, is especially popular among the gay community. For a full week, the whole city is dedicated to the celebration of Carnival, dressing up and organising activities for both children and adults. Sunday and Tuesday’s parades filled Sitges’ streets with tens of thousands of visitors.No less than 1,000 police officers were mobilised for the event, as were fire fighters and health personnel. 38 extra trains and 45,000 additional seats were provided to help visitors attend the event. The Carnival finishes this Wednesday with the traditional ‘burial of the sardines’.

Carnival time is here and Catalonia is ready to let its hair down. From the 12^th to the 18^th of February many Catalan cities and towns will be submerged in an explosion of colour: ‘Carnestoltes’. The origin of this eagerly awaited tradition goes back to the early Middle Ages, when Christians enjoyed a few days of debauchery leading up to Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and pious behaviour. Despite conflicting views about the etymology of the word ‘Carnestoltes’, credit usually goes to the Latin form ‘carns toldrem’ (‘farewell to flesh’). One of the biggest carnivals in Catalonia is held in Sitges, a coastal town with about 30,000 inhabitants 30km south of Barcelona, which expects nearly 300,000 visitors during the parades next Sunday and Tuesday.

The Sitges Carnival is one of the best-known in Spain. Its spectacular nature, alongside with the crowded parades and the dedication of the entire city to this festival, make thousands of tourists and people from all over Catalonia visit the city and enjoy its Carnival. For a week, the whole town dresses up and organises activities that include parades, parties, races or balls, where adults and children have fun together. This year, more than 300,000 people joined the villagers in the celebration of Sitges’ most important holiday.

Carnival celebrations in small towns around Girona remain a huge social event and a great occasion for having fun with friends. Throughout this whole week small villages in the province of Girona celebrate the ‘Carnestoltes’, a whole set of celebrations based on the Carnival theme. Despite the economic crisis and many budget cutbacks, the festivity remains a hugely strong tradition and offers a mix of fun and excess before Lent begins.

The Carnival of Cultures at Kreuzberg plays host to over 70 nations