Carnaval

Carnaval 2016 Alicante style was one of the craziest things I have ever experienced. My friend Kayla put it best by saying, “When Halloween does cocaine, the Spaniards call it Carnaval.”

A little background, this widely celebrated holiday takes place pre-lent and is publically celebrated with costumes and street parties. People wear masks and dress up, (my host mom told me the most important thing is to not be recognized as your normal self) allowing them to lose their everyday individuality and experience a heightened sense of social unity. And let me tell you, carnaval is a PARTY. Not wanting to spend much money, a few friends and I bought cheap masks and wore all black. (Disclaimer: If you do this, you WILL be known as a foreigner, so if you want to blend in more dress up more, if you don’t mind having everyone know you’re an extranjero, a mask will do just fine J).

Me, Sage, Marshall, and Tori with our masks with La Rambla in the background, where all the main action took place.

I wish I had taken more photos, but the people on the streets were all dressed up. Something I found interesting is that it was a common trend to wear the same costume as a group of your friends. There were small packs of Supergirls or Football players walking the streets, which if you think about it is a genius idea because with the streets so packed, it is easier to find your friends. And the streets are PACKED. I have never been to such an insane party just out in the streets. The “rambla” (the central street of the celebrations) was jam packed with people, stages with live music, lights, and vendors. For the large portion of the night, people were in the streets. Later on, they filtered into bars and discotecas. I returned to my apartment at 4am, and was probably the first person to retire for the night. Many people continue to party till dawn!

This photo was taken from the stage on La Rambla and clearly shows how packed the streets were. (I didn’t take this picture obviously but it gives a clear picture of what I’ve been describing!)

What I really respected about Carnaval though, was that yes, it was a crazy party with plenty of people and alcohol, but things were in safe and secure order. Families were out on the same streets large parts of the evening with children, and as big and crazy as it was, nothing got out of hand. I felt safe the entire night! It was truly an unforgettable experience. Spain sure does know how to throw a party!!

Four days after the main Carnaval celebration, on Ash Wednesday the Entierro de la Sardina is celebrated. This parade celebration, concluded with the burning of a large artificial sardine, is an event that marks the end of the celebration of carnaval, and the beginning of lent. Everyone wears black and jesters dance as the sardine burns. It was a very interesting cultural experience. While this event was much smaller than carnaval, I loved seeing the contrast of the huge party with the settled down start of lent. There is seemingly a holiday everyday here in Alicante, and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world.