Carnivals and Gastronomy

 

You have probably heard of the Carnivals in Venice or in Rio de Janeiro, but there are also famous ones in Spain, such as those in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and those in Cádiz. What is the origin of this party? Although it seems to have its origin in certain pagan festivals from Roman times, the carnivals themselves are born in the Middle Ages, with the expansion of Christianity. The festival took the name of carnival, which comes from carnem levare in latin, which means "give up meat". This is so because this event was celebrated days before Ash Wednesday, the start date of  Lent until Resurrection Sunday, a period of abstinence and fasting. In that festival, absolutely everything was allowed and people covered their faces or went in disguise, so as not to be recognized.

Carnivals do not have a fixed date of celebration. As with Holy Week, Carnival is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, which means that the days change from one year to the next. Specifically, Carnival is set 40 days before Holy Thursday, which this year is Thursday April 6. Therefore, in 2023 the Carnival began on Thursday February 16 and will last until Wednesday February 22.

The "Burial of the Sardine" is a ceremony that announces the end of Carnival in various parts of Spain and Latin America. It usually consists of a carnival parade that parodies a funeral procession and ends with the burning of some symbolic figure, generally representing a sardine. The carnivalesque burial of the sardine is traditionally celebrated on Ash Wednesday. The Past is symbolically buried, so that people and society can be reborn with greater force. The Madrid Carnival will end with this popular burial and a parade, starting in San Antonio de la Florida and ending in la Fuente de los Pajaritos. A new edition of the gastronomic route 'We're going for sardines!' returns.

Starting Thursday February 16, more than a hundred establishments, distributed among market stalls, pastry shops, restaurants and hotels are taking part in a gastronomic route that is already in its fourth edition. It bears the name of "We're going for sardines!". Some dishes have this fish as the main ingredient, but others are sweets imitating the shape of the fish. Here you can find the list of establishments that participate in this gastronomic route: https://masinteresmadrid.com/adjuntos/19227/Ruta_gastronomica_Sardina_Carnaval_2023_programa.pdf