Barcelona Apartments - Akaza Holiday Apartments in Barcelona

Carnival, which is also in Barcelona, is the time of joy, exuberance, before Ash Wednesday when the 46-day long lent to Easter begins. Carnival, in Catalonia is celebrated as in Central Europe. The celebration is about the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. (In Eastern Rite Catholic churches, Lent begins two days earlier, on clean Monday. One disguises oneself, there are carnival events and parades, which are almost as colorful as in Cologne or Mainz (Germany). And the bars are full of locals and tourists.

Fasting and abstinence are required during these days, why do not you celebrate the first part of the fasting here in one of the most beautiful city by one of our wonderful apartment at Akaza – www.akaza.net

The special costumes, the typical disguises and wizards make this carnival so worth seeing. Also, children will love the carnival in Barcelona.

If you tend to dislike carnivals and would like to take refuge from the clownish goings, we can relax you. In Barcelona, El Carnival is not as ubiquitous as in other main cities.

The carnival begins in Spain with "Dirty Thursday", in Barcelona this day is called Jueves Ladero - Greasy Thursday, or Dijous Gras in Catalan. This day is dedicated to the "Greasy" and "Vice" and celebrated with many festivals in which vast amounts are eaten as the last Thursday before the fast would begin.

The weekend belongs to the Carnival Guilds. Highlight is the Gran Rue, the big carnival Parade (see below) with loads of colourful decorated carriages and carnival Groups.

On Ash Wednesday the carnival comes to an end with the funeral of the sardine. The King of Carnival dies and is buried in his grave in a funeral cortège, accompanied by his widow and companions - the colourful costumes are appropriately exchanged to black mourning clothes.
Traditionally, on this day fish is eaten.

The Barcelona carnival occurs every year in February and is organized by Barcelona´s Carnival commission. El Carnaval is a public celebration typical of Spain which takes place before the start of lent and usually consists of parades, dressing up and events throughout the city. The origin of Spanish carnival is thought to have come from pagan festivals where they paid homage to Baco, the god of wine, or alternatively from Egypt over 5000 years ago and roman times, from which the customs were then expanded throughout Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers of the 15^th century.        

Carnaval is a principally Catholic celebration and is celebrated in a different way by protestant cultures, such as in Denmark (Fastelavn), where it is often referred to as Nordic Halloween.

This year will be the 103^rd annual carnavak with events throughout the city. Since the 1980s the main parade of the carnival celebrations was the Gran Rua, but this year it will not take place as it is no longer considered by the local government to be a traditional element of Carnaval. Instead there will be smaller parades in all central areas of the city on Saturday February 18^th.  

Another main event is the traditional sardine buying ceremony on Ash Wednesday to mark the start of Lent. Why not rent out one of our Barcelona apartments and join in the carnival fun? Check out our website www.akaza.net

Carnaval also happens in every smaller town and city around Barcelona. According to Guinness world records, the largest and most famous carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro, but other famous Carnivals are those of Tenerife, Madrid and Venezuela.