Does anyone know what the Carnival this weekend is all about ?

My kids have made costumes in school and are going to do a procession in the town tomorrow..

One is going to be a Lizard, one a Rabbit and other a Windmill...

What's that all about, eh ?

Have your kids got something similar going on or is it just Asturias?

it's all over Spain & other parts of the world (except the UK), the most famous being in Brazil, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans

carnaval

not being religious I'm not 100% sure - but pretty sure it is connected to Easter/Lent & shrove tuesday?

You've lived in Spain (or France or Portugal or Italy or Brazil or southern Germany....etc) and don't know what Carnival is about? It's the lead-up to Lent.

The equivalent in the UK is Pancake Day

I am not up on religious festivals...

...I've heard of Pancake Day....but never had to dress up as a lizard.

I'm fairly sure certain cities celebrate Carnaval more than others in Spain. If memory serves me right, Cadiz and Tenerife are the two main destinations, although there are obviously celebrations elsewhere.

Thanks for the link...should be fun for the kids !!

Are your kids dressing up too?

not the older one, but I just found out what the younger one is doing last night - they parade along the seafront today & make the costumes at school

they are supposed to keep it a secret from the parents but she had to finish making her drum & lyre at home last night - apparently her year are all dressed as Romans!

Each school tends to have a different theme every year (even different classes differ). This year, my children's school have a theme of endangered animals to try and raise awareness.

My two are going as a Polar Bear and as a Panda.

Carnival is a catholic thing.


Here is a video I shot last year of our local event. Unfortunatly beacuse it had rained the nightbefore the traditional costumes were getting damaged whilst dragging on the ground so these guys went back change to save them. Luckily the guys with the bells were able to carry on.



In Galicia is is better known as Entroido, the best place to see this is in Galicia is said to be Verin.
http://www.carnavaldeverin.com/

Oh the gaitas aaahhhh!!

Very cool. Although one must say, very Galician and Asturian. Carnival wont look much like this in the rest of Spain. But thats the way Spain is, each region and each village has a slightly different take on things

Oh so true... now where can I find a film of The Netherlands, that is very very different there too, I will miss that this year.

Hi from France!
When my two were young they dressed up for Carnaval at junior school and I made pancakes for Mardi-Gras (still do, even though they both left home years ago). Easter must be earlier this year - I hadn't realised that it was Mardi-Gras next week. It was only last week that I made pancakes for Candlemas (2nd Feb.)...
Even if you aren't religiously inclined, you get carried along with the traditions!

Theme for my kid's school is "Salvemos La Tierra"

Eldest daughter is not happy about being a Windmill - all her class are windmills (11/12 yr old). One boy was naughty and has to be a cabbage!!

Anyway I have to go and watch it later - and it's blinking raining.

Afterwards the school is providing some food - empanadas, pizzas and tortillas.

Just been out for a walk around the town and saw the children dressed up as knights and medieval ladies marching from one school to the other. Looked wonderful and I have just heard them marching back again but this time they have drums accompanying them.

Rosemary