Carnaval de Sitges
Carnaval is a Catholic tradition that is characterized by celebrations, parties, and parades that take place about a week before Lent. The most popular day to celebrate is Fat Tuesday or the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. Spain is a Catholic country and one of the biggest celebrations takes place about an hour away from Barcelona in Sitges. My friends and I decided to go to Sitges because we had never celebrated Carnaval. A couple weeks prior, Audrey, Otilia, and I were in Venice, Italy where purchased traditional Italian Carnaval masks decorated in paint and glitter. We signed up for a charter bus that took us to and from Sitges and provided each of us with a liter of sangria.
When we arrived in Sitges the streets were covered in confetti and full of people, some dressed up and others in regular street clothes, waiting for the parade to start. We walked through the crowded streets and found a spot along the parade route to watch the floats. Each float that passed had a different theme with music and lights. Some of the costumes of the paraders included mermaids, leprechauns, or fairies, and some surprised me such as cross-dressers, Native Americans, or botox and plastic surgeons. I was slightly offended by some of costumes, but later it was explained to me that everything about Carnaval is supposed to be a joke. Although I did not find humor in some of the costumes, I understand that there are cultural differences in what is considered humorous. Regardless, I had a fun time and I am glad I was able to experience one of the best Carnaval parades.
