Fun-filled Carnival weekend as celebrations enter home stretch

Carnival returned to villages, towns and cities across Catalonia in a riot of color over the weekend, with revelers making the most of the excuse to let their hair down after last year's festivities were dialed down due to the pandemic.

The celebrations were in full flow in the coastal town of Vilanova i la Geltrú, as were the candies, flying through the air as part of the traditional food fights there.

Nine battles took place on Sunday, two for children and the rest for adults, with the council estimating that 90 tonnes of sweets were used as ammunition.

"Today is a big day for the people of Vilanova i la Geltrú because the square is once again ours", said local councilor for culture, Mercè Mateo. The number of comparsers, parade participants dressed in traditional outfits, was reduced from 9,000 couples to 6,000 this year.

There was controversy in the town of Ribes de Freser in the north of Catalonia, where an effigy of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and Catalan president Pere Aragonès having anal sex was burned.

The Observatory against Homophobia has filed a complaint saying that the effigy was an example of "homophobic humor" as it associates anal sex with submission and denigration. Organizers said the figure was satire and a nod to politics and the fact that the town is not included in the area that will vote on the Winter Olympics coming to the Pyrenees in 2030. 

Two of the biggest celebrations on the Costa Brava took place in the towns of Roses and Palamós, where hundreds took to the streets for Carnival.

On Saturday, 31 groups took part in the Palamós parade, with a lack of practice not holding them back: "The most important thing was to enjoy the party and laugh together," Núria Jové, a participant, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Roses mayor Joan Plana said that Carnival was the biggest party of the year for many residents, and while visitor numbers didn't reach pre-pandemic heights, the "carnival spirit" could be felt throughout the town.

Party not over yet

While Monday of Carnival week is usually a recovery day after the weekend's festivities, there is still plenty of partying ahead:

Tuesday March 1

The Extermination Parade is Sitges is one of the most famous parades in Catalonia. There will be child-friendly version at 12 noon and one for adults at 7pm.

Tuesday also marks a key Carnival date in towns such as Vidreres, near Girona, and Ponts, near Lleida. These two places are the main spots to enjoy a dish known as 'ranxo', a vegetable and meat stew made from ingredients provided by the town's residents.

Wednesday March 2

The only way to round off a Catalan Carnival is with the 'Burial of the Sardine' ritual on Ash Wednesday. This mysterious, somber ceremony takes place all across Catalonia in places such as Barcelona, Sitges, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. In Solsona, residents will remove the fake donkey they placed in the town's bell tower on Saturday.

All of which brings us to the beginning of the traditional Lent period of abstinence, which after seven days of good times and gluttony, some may be thankful to see.