As far as I know, this holiday is not commonly celebrated in the States. Of course we do have Halloween, and we do dress up in costume for that, but it is an entirely different kind of celebration. Carnival is most popular in Brazil, and is also widely celebrated throughout Spain.
How will I celebrate my first ever Carnival, you ask? Well, I did contemplate for quite some time a trip to Cadiz, which is located in the Southern region of Andalucia, south of Sevilla. Cadiz is supposed to have one of the wildest parties in Spain for Carnival--an entire weekend of costumed craziness. However, flights are expensive, I have no money, and also cannot take time off work. So that option quickly become rather impossible. (There's always next year, right?) Then I considered going to Sitges, which is a beach town a short train ride away from Barcelona. It is supposed to be Catalunya's equivalent to Cadiz. Again, one, huge, three day party. But in the end, I decided that wasn't the best option either. Memories of Halloween in Madison immediately came to mind. Huge crowds, annoying out-of-towners, confusion, long lines, expensive drinks, and stupid drunk people for three days? Maybe not my cup of tea.
So I think I have decided to experience Carnival in Barcelona this year. Luckily, two of my roommates have also decided to stay, and we are already brainstorming costume ideas.
And of course, Barcelona is a huge city which means there will be huge parties here as well. In fact, my friend Mark and I were wandering the streets of a nearby neighborhood when we stumbled into a cafe for some hot chocolate and churros. Then, to our pleasant surprise, a typical Carnival parade erupted right outside the window, and passed by as we watched from inside the cozy cafe with our warm hot chocolate and especially delicious pastries.
And with that, let the Carnival begin!
Sweet. And I can see you in the video which means you aren't secretly writing fake blog entries from Madison.
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