1. Pork Festival in Vic

In the past, Carnival was the last chance to eat pork before Lent fasting began. Today, many towns and cities keep this tradition alive with sumptuous dinners featuring pork loin and Catalan fresh and cured sausages. You'll find such celebrations in Vilafranca, Torelló, and Sallent, but don’t miss the one organised by the Osona Cuina culinary association on Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent) in Vic. In the capital of the Osona region, they’ve truly mastered the art of honouring the animal from which everything is used, roasting whole split pigs in the middle of the Plaça Major. A slow-cooked delight!

2. Xatonada and Merengada in Vilanova i la Geltrú

While Vic welcomes the Carnival King with a feast of pork loin, Catalan egg sausage and coca de llardons (a thin layer of puff pastry topped with crispy fried pork rinds, pine nuts and sugar), in Vilanova i la Geltrú it’s customary to celebrate Fat Thursday with communal meals featuring an unchangeable menu: xató (Catalan salad with escarole, tuna, salt cod and romesco sauce) as a starter, omelette for the main course, and meringue for dessert. But be warned, this whipped egg white treat is likely to end up smeared all over your face, as it’s the ammunition used during the festive battles typical of Vilanova Carnival. If you’re going with the kids, don’t miss the afternoon merengada (meringue battle) in Plaça del Mercat. And at midnight, head to Plaça de les Cols: you’re in for a hilariously fun battle, if you’re brave enough to join in!

3. Escudella Festival in Castellterçol

One of the most popular events on Carnival Tuesday is the communal escudella (Catalan stew) prepared in many towns. In places like Gallifa, Sant Feliu de Codines and Arenys de Mar, it’s not unusual to find tourists completely mesmerised by the sight of huge pots boiling away in the town squares. Castellterçol hosts one of the biggest escudella festivals, attracting thousands of people eager to enjoy a broth made from a special local recipe.

4. Communal Sardine Feast in Arenys de Mar

The hallmark communal meal of Ash Wednesday is undoubtedly the sardine feast. It’s mainly prepared as an evening meal, making use of the embers left after burning the effigy of the Carnival King, and always after hearing the last testament of the “King of Fools”. In Arenys de Mar, they prepare one of the most popular sardine feasts, but it’s actually a deeply rooted tradition throughout the regions of Barcelona.

5. Toast Festival in Pla del Penedès

Salted sardines on toast is the star dish of Carnival Sunday breakfast in Pla del Penedès, a pretty village nestled among vineyards. The festivities get underway early with the lighting of a bonfire, accompanied by the grallers (groups of musicians who play the gralla, a traditional Catalan double-reeded wind instrument). The embers from the bonfire are used to toast rustic bread and grill salted sardines. It’s a simple, tasty meal that must be prepared traditionally, by skewering the food on the end of a cane and having a friend on the other side of the fire to warn you if your toast is burning. And to keep the celebration lively, there’s never a shortage of wine-filled porrons (traditional Catalan wine pitchers).