In Spain, the carnival begins with the pregón, the opening speech. After the speech street parades, costume contests and general partying begin.
Carnival is celebrated most intensely in Cádiz in Andalusia and Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Music and live bands play a much bigger role than in other places in Spain, and the dancing and costumes are the true showstoppers. Especially in Andalusia, the two musical groups that really stand out are the comparsas (troupes) and the chirigotas (comic carnival bands)
Every city holds a special gala to choose their own Carnival Queen, but the most famous and important one takes place in Tenerife. The competition is a lot like a beauty pageant. Dazzling dresses built with various frames and even wheels because they can weigh up to 450 pounds.
Carnival comes to an end with the Entierro de la Sardina tradition, celebrated the day before Lent begins. The Burial of the Sardine is a parody of a funeral in which a large figure of a sardine is set aflame and burned to symbolically mark the farewell to life’s pleasures and the sad arrival of Lent.
Vocabulary
la mascara : mask
el tambor : drum
las plumas: feather
el confetti : confetti
la bailarina : dancer
las maravas: rattles
la peluca: wig
la musica: music
los globos: globes
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