I plan to be in Spain the first two weeks of February. Martes de Carnival is Feb 12th. Has anyone been to Cadiz for Carnival? The last time I was in Spain for Carnival was in '99 in Santiago de Compostela, where it's called AnTroido. It was great! People tell me that Cadiz is best for Carnival.
I got lucky in February '99. The weather was nice in Galicia. Trying to repeat that may be 'pushing my luck.'

[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Eddie, or Spaniards, would you mind describing the experience/reason/event of Carnival in Spain? I have only limited knowledge of the holiday and am beginning to get a number of emails asking where/what/why/how and I just don't have the answers. Thanks!

Carnival (or Carnaval) is the same as Mardi Gras: It's the partying that happens the days leading up to the beginning of the observance of the Lenten season of fasting, etc. (Ash Wednesday, Feb 13, 2002)

We all know about Carnival in Rio and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Vera Cruz (Mexico) is another big Carnaval site; I have been told the biggest Carnaval celebration in Spain is in Cadiz, with parades and people dressing funny and papier maché figures that are burned to end the celebration.

Then there's Santiago de Compostela where it is called AnTroido. I was there in '99 on a 'scouting' mission and saw the big parade - there was a float called 'drag queens.' It was hilarious. I went back for Santiago (Jul 25) that año Xacobeo the Galicia TV talk shows were still talking about it.

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Eddie ]

Hi.

I've never been in Cádiz in carnavals, but, it is true!, the carnavals in Cádiz are the best and the more famous in Spain.

Maybe I'm wrong but... fallas in Cádiz?. I think there is no fallas in Cádiz.

The main spectacle in Cádiz carnavals is "Las chirigotas". A "Chirigota" is a group of people that spends hours after hours on the streets playing guitars and singing satiric songs.

There's even a quiz to choose the best Chirigota!.

Bye!

Hi there!

Hey, everybody is forgeting the other most famous Carnival in Spain, and it's just as popular as the one in Cádiz, I'm talking about the one in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. It is actually more spectacular.
I guess in Cádiz there is more 'juerga', but people's costumes in Tenerife rival those of Rio de Janeiro(well, they tend to be a little bit larger than the ones in Brazil ;)), the 'tinerfeños'(people from that island) prepare their disguises for months, and the more elaborate ones take them the whole year!

This is what I know:
Carnivals always take place in February, but the exact date depends on when is Holy Week each year.
In Madrid, there's a big 'baile de disfraces' at the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
The Carnival was forbidden during Franco's dictatorship! (after all it's a celebration of 'Don Carnal'(=Mr. Carnal)!)
'El entierro de la sardina'...., now THAT'S a peculiar tradition, at least it's always puzzled me!

As for the figures Eddie mentions, I don't know how the 'gaditanos'(people from Cádiz) call the ones they burn, but the figures of Las Fallas of Valencia are called 'ninots'.


HAVE A NICE WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!

[ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: pim ]

I apologize about forgotting the carnivals in Tenerife

By the way!, I think that I know how to know when the carnivals are, but I don't know the correct words of the days in English.

All is based in the moon and in the catholic calendar.

First: Get a calendar of the year you want and look for March the 21th (the first day in spring).
Second: Find the first full moon after this day.
Third: Find the first sunday after this first full moon. (I don't know what happens if the first full moon is on sunday). This is "Domingo de Resurrección". This year is on March the 31th.
Forth: The previous sunday to this one is "Domingo de Ramos". On March the 24th.
5th: Forty days before the "Domingo de Ramos" is "Miércoles de Ceniza". The end of the Carnivals. This year it's on February the 13th.
6th: So, the Carnivals start this year on February the 7th (thursday) and finish on February the 13th... ¡Fiestaaaa!

Bye!

I totally agree with Pim. Carnaval at Santa Cruz de Tenerife is more Rio-like and it's one of the most popular in Spain.

You may want to read some information about Carnaval de Cádiz

As for Madrid, Carnaval is not so much celebrated as in other cities but you should be able to find some information about the activities this year at Madrid's city council site , Madrid La Netro or Guia del Ocio .

I was lucky enough to see some of the Tenerife dancers in costume last year in Madrid - sorry but I can't remember the name of the bar where they visited/performed. When pim says fantastic costumes - she's right. And spectacular dancers ... I have never been in Tenerife for Carnaval but it has to be something.

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Puna ]

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to the Canaries for Carnaval this year. My initial post on this subject was to ask for feedback from anyone who has actually been to Cadiz and witnessed (or participated in) the Carnaval ferstivities (i.e., been there; done that!).

Cadiz...a/k/a LA TACITA DE PLATA! My cousin from Madrid had the opportunity once of going to Cadiz for their Carnavales and according to her they were awesome, I was in Cadiz one summer passing by and I thought it was a gorgeous sight from the highway up in the mountain, beautiful white city surrounded by the bluest sea I have ever seen
I don't know where the Tacita de Plata comes from, it might be because the city is so white that it titillates!

I've never been to the mainland for Caranaval but I was lucky enough to be in Tenerife one year and Gran Canaria another. This much I know, supposedly " God turns his head for two weeks" and the people pretty much do as they please. And although it's officially only a two week deal, it almost seemed to me that the people started carnaval about two weeks early and ended about two weeks late. At least that was my perception of it. My wife's uncle is some kind of costume designer in Las Palmas, anyway, he spends a great part of the year designing Carnaval Costumes, and even does costumes for the Reinas de Carnaval. They are spectacular costumes!

'Los Carnavales' are just around the corner!!!....

A couple of more facts:

I heard on a tv report the other day that Tenerife's Carnival is considered to be amongst the best in the world, along with Rio's or Venice's, etc.

I guess the highlight of this event is the costume contest(at least for the rest of us Spaniards who always watch it on tv).
In this contest they choose the Carnival Queen. The girls are usually very young and gorgeous('Las canarias' are known to be quite beautiful in general), and their dresses are amazing!, sometimes their wear headdresses¿? that weight around 10 kilos, poor girls!
On a side note, in these modern times they also hold a contest for Drag Queen of the Carnival.

In Tenerife there are also 'chirigotas' (these, someone explained in a previous post), but they're called 'murgas'.

Now, in my opinion, one of the most peculiar traditions in Spain is 'el entierro de la sardina'(the sardine's burial), it's part of the Carnaval's rituals. I'm sorry I'm not really "an expert" on it; would anyone knowledgeable elaborate on that?

Sad news:
It looks like I'm going to have to wait for another year for Carnaval in Cadiz. My car got run into last Tuesday and it's in a Body shop being repaired; so I must postpone my trip to Cadiz.
Good news: I would have been flying Standby on a reduced rate parent's ticket - I don't lose any money on a non-refundable ticket.

To Spaniards Regarding Carnaval, do any of you go to parties and dress-up or is it only for those people in parades?

Eddie, what a shame!!!!! I'm so sorry to hear you won't be going to Spain this year. It's a shame about your accident -- hope YOU'RE in better shape from it than was, obviously, your car.

Upon reading this, your first of two paragraphs, it seemed as if you intended to DRIVE to Cádiz! I was going to suggest you OVERinflate your tires for the marine portion of your trip.

But seriously folks, it is always a shame to hear people have to cancel travel plans to Spain for whatever reason. Take care, Eddie.

Sadly, MadridMan

Although Madrid is not the best place for Carnivals, since I finished the university (we always had exams on February), I try to dress-up every year with a different costume with my friends and go to any place with some costume party.
Of course the best is going to other town.
Apart from Tenerife and Cadiz, in Ciudad Rodrigo is probably the oldest tradition. There are documents even from the Reyes Católicos asking not to spend so much in the festivities. They are organized arround the encierros and bullfights

MMan,

Now I can answer to your question after having gone out during Carnival in Madrid for the first time, (at least I can't remember any other occasion)

On Friday I had some friends come over at my place and somehow the dinner turned out to be a themed one, and we all dressed up as different things.

Last night I went out with the same group of people to a party at CAMP, because a girl in the group is good friends with the owner who is a Belgian-American. On our way there from the calle Estudios, we went through La Plaza Mayor, although the concert there hadn't started yet(at past midnight!) and saw some great costumes like one of Scarlett O'Hara's maid, etc...., and also we passed the entrance of El Círculo de Bellas Artes, and there were people entering the big ball wearing some pretty elaborate disguises. BTW, I was dressed as an angel, with wings and a halo. At Camp, the owner was a very gracious host and decided to give us a tour around Chueca, 'cause "that's really where the action was", so amongst a group of his friends we procceded to stop by several places, starting at one called La Luna, (and I can't remember the name of the rest), in our group was a girl wearing a ladybug costume, and many gay folks would say to her "Oh! how appropiate!" (get it?); anyway, we saw loads of: witches, demons, cow-girl-drag-queens, nurse-drag-queens, bimbo-drag-queens,....and also; bishops, popes, school uniforms, Scottish kilts, etc,....

Upon returning home at around four, I could hear a lot of noise and music coming from Huertas Street, and kind of saw a little parade going on there.

A couple of more facts I've learned about Tenerife's "crazyness";

The Carnival there lasts three weeks.
Not only there's the queen and drag-queen of the Carnival's pageant, but also one for older(I guess 60+) women.
The average weight of the dresses wore by the younger contestants goes from 40 to 60 kgs.!

In response to hombre_gizon´s post:

Domingo de Resurrección --> Easter Sunday
Domingo de Ramos --> Palm Sunday
Miércoles de Ceniza --> Ash Wednesday

I thought Carnival (Mardi Gras) ended on Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) ??