If someone mentioned the word Carnival, you’d likely think straight away in Brazil and South American countries. However, in Northern Spain in Barcelona and the surrounding area, the parties celebrated in February can rival those in Rio!

Traditionally a Christian festival, Carnival welcomes the excuse for a party and to use up food before lent begins and the run up to Easter. Lent is a time of fasting which lasts for 40 days, in representation of the fasting that Jesus passed in the desert. It’s not known with much clarity about the appearance of floats, masks and costumes, but Barcelona and specifically the seaside town of Sitges make the most of this aspect!

In Sitges, there are many parades and official acts accompanied by traditional foods and drink. The idea of "Carnaval" is embraced by all of society, with small children preparing in schools for the arrival of "Carnelstoltes" which roughly translates as "King of the Crackpots" and is the King of the festival! Carnelstoltes visits schools in Sitges and travels around with his Queen on the Thursday or "Fat Thursday" and it’s traditional to eat Spanish Omelettes and sweet breads known as "coques/cocas" which are decorated with candied fruits and pine nuts, for example.

Sunday evening is a lavish ceremony known as the Debauchery Parade and despite technically being winter, everyone fills the streets for the parade and costumes are just as skimpy as you might find on the beaches of Ipenima! Sitges is a favourite resort for gays, so many of the elaborate floats are filled with fantastic costumes worn by drag queens and it’s a great party atmosphere.

The following Tuesday, there is the end of the celebrations with the final Extermination Parade, where are huge sardine is taken to the beach and is buried, signifying the beginning of the fasting and the end of the party week. Barbeques are often lighted on this evening with fish, meats and just about anything else you can imagine, too.

Barcelona city also organises are festival route which closes off some of the city’s main arteries for traffic and generally has a pretty decent following with many nationalities being represented on the floats, music from their respective cultures blasting out as the parade crosses town. This is a larger scale operation, but it struggles to reproduce the fantastic atmosphere in the neighbouring town of Sitges. Sitges also has a beautiful beach front and is easily accessed from Barcelona city – just a 20 minute train ride away. If you’re visiting Barcelona during Festival week sometime soon, be sure to include Sitges on your itinerary!