Carnival in Spain

Carnival in Spain

Spain is a country that is widely Catholic. The Catholic tradition of Lent brings with it, Carnival. During Lent, Catholics will give a vice up for six weeks. Lent starts in late February. The week leading up to Lent is full of parties and fun. That week is called Carnival.

During Carnival, there is a lot of drinking, smoking, and eating of meat and sugar filled foods. People will often dress up in elaborate costumes with masks. Carnival is like a huge masquerade. There are parades, dancing, and partying all night. Since the party is day and night, there is little time for sleep.

Carnival goes on all over Spain, but the areas that celebrate Carnival with the largest celebrations are The Canary Islands, Cadiz, and Sitgez. In Cadiz people will often create costumes relating to recent events. Instead of wearing a mask in Cadiz, it is a tradition to paint your face with lipstick. The Canary Islands holds the largest Carnival celebration in Spain. Sitgez holds the Carnival celebration that most cross dressers attend. However, Gran Canaria even holds a Drag Queen Gala.

Carnival has always been the week before Lent. It is thought that the origin of Carnival was to get rid of all of the vices so that there would be no temptations during Lent.

The etymology of Carnival is widely disputed. Most think it is from different words that all translate to "removal of meat". Some say it's from the Latin words "carne vale" meaning "farewell to flesh". Some Carnival celebrations embrace this. They wish for you to get out of your old skin and have fun at the celebration. Most Latin translations are folk etymologies, though.

While Spain might not be the first place you think of when it comes to Carnival, it does celebrate it just as well as other countries. Most people hear Carnival and think Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. I hope anyone who reads this thinks of Spain, too, when they hear Carnival.