Carnaval

Carnival is about much more than fancy dress, parades with floats, satirical speeches and traditional dances. Gluttony and a certain amount of drunkenness characterise these festivities, and there are plenty of occasions to fill your belly between Fat Thursday and Ash Wednesday. But always as part of a group, because the “King of the Layabouts” can’t bear solitude. Would you like to discover some of heartiest communal feasts organised for Carnival?

There are 5 unmissable carnivals in the regions of Barcelona for those who enjoy dressing up, fun revolutions and excesses of all kinds. From Dijous Gras or Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent) to Ash Wednesday, the only thing on everyone's mind in Vilanova, Vilafranca, Sitges, Sallent and Torelló is enjoying the annual visit of the Rei Carnestoltes (Carnival King) to the full. Are you ready to celebrate the party of parties?

In ancient times, when Vella Quaresma (Old Lady Lent) arrived with her seven legs poking out from under her skirt, everyone knew what it meant: it was time for fasting and abstinence! After all the excesses encouraged by the Carnestoltes (Carnival King), it was time to go on a diet, forsaking meat, eggs and milk in preparation for Easter. However, these restrictions didn’t mean that dishes were plain or basic; not by a long chalk! Our ancestors knew how to make the most of the ingredients that were allowed in order to carry on enjoying good cuisine; traditional dishes that are still made today in homes across Catalonia or at the culinary get-togethers held over the seven weeks of Lent.