Do you know how they celebrate carnival in Cerdanya or what activities are carried out? This week, from Lloguer Cerdanya, we will talk to you about the celebration and events of the carnival in Bellver de Cerdanya.
Carnival history
The history of the carnival is remembered as a festival related to nature, where the cold and winter said goodbye to welcome the renewal of vegetation. When the people of the Iberians and Celts suffered from hunger or some disease, they blamed the weakness of the chieftains of the tribe and, therefore, believed that they had to be killed.
In Bellver de Cerdanya, the carnival celebrations date back to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century as a celebration resulting from the festivities celebrated in ancient times. The carnival took place until after the Spanish Civil War, when it was banned by the Franco regime. Even so, for some years now, the Pyrenean town has been recovering the traditional carnival that consists of a parade and a bonfire where the King Carnestoltes cream is made.
Traditional carnival characters
The parade is made up of some fun and traditional characters that parade throughout the town accompanied by the timbalers and comparsas.
King Carnestoltes (in charge of making the proclamation in the Town Hall)
The Piggy (she is the wife of King Carnestoltes)
The Notary (person in charge of reading the testament of King Carnestoltes)
The King of the Cuckolds and two assistants (they are villagers of the town just married)
The Man of the Forest (character that represents nature)
El Marriage of the Espingueri (characters dressed as bride and groom with a strange costume)
The Cenrers (characters with beards and mustaches wearing white confetti on their backs)
El Vidalot (character who disguises himself as a man and a woman)
Carnival program in Bellver of Cerdanya
The celebrations in the Serdinyenc town begin on Thursday Gras with a retinue led by King Carnestoltes until they reach the Town Hall where the proclamation is read and ends with people dancing in the square.
On Saturday afternoon the great parade is held where all the traditional characters of the Bellverenc carnival participate and that runs through the entire town. During the last years, the celebration ends with a great chocolate.
The festival ends on Ash Wednesday where the burning of King Carnestoltes, the reading of his will and the great popular sardinada are made.
Although this year we cannot travel as much as we would like, we leave you the properties that we have available in Bellver of Cerdanya, so you can enjoy the traditional carnival of this town in the near future.
And you, what character would you dress up as? We read you in the comments!
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