Editing Carnival (section)

=====Catalonia=====
[[File:Vidalot.jpg|thumb|upright|''Vidalot'' is the last night of revelry before Ash Wednesday in [[Vilanova i la Geltrú|Vilanova]], [[Catalonia]], Spain. Water color painting by Brad Erickson.]]

In [[Catalonia]], people dress in masks and costume (often in themed groups) and organize a week-long series of parties, pranks, outlandish activities such as bed races, street dramas satirizing public figures, and raucous processions to welcome the arrival of ''Sa Majestat el Rei Carnestoltes'' ("His Majesty King Carnival"), known by various titles, including ''el Rei dels poca-soltes'' ("King of the crackpots"), ''Princep etern de Cornudella'' ("eternal Prince of Cuckoldry"), {{lang|ca|Duc de ximples i corrumputs}} ("Duke of the fool and corrupt"), ''Marquès de la bona mamella'' ("Marquis of the lovely breast"), ''Comte de tots els barruts'' ("Count of the insolent"), ''Baró de les Calaverades'' ("Baron of mocturnal debaucheries"), and {{lang|ca|Senyor de l'alt Plàtan florit, dels barraquers i gamberrades i artista d'honor dalt del llit}} ("Lord of the tall blooming Banana, of the voyeurs and punks and the artist of honor upon the bed").<ref>Erickson, Brad. 2008. ''Sensory Politics: Catalan Ritual and the New Immigration''. University of California, Berkeley. pp. 123–4</ref>

The King presides over a period of misrule in which conventional social rules may be broken and reckless behavior is encouraged. Festivities are held in the open air, beginning with a ''cercavila'', a ritual procession throughout the town to call everyone to attend. ''Rues'' of masked revelers dance alongside. On Thursday, ''Dijous Gras'' (Fat Thursday) is celebrated, also called 'omelette day' (el ''dia de la truita''), on which ''[[coca (pastry)|coques]]'' ({{lang|ca|de llardons, butifarra d'ou, butifarra}}), and [[omelette]]s are eaten. The festivities end on Ash Wednesday with elaborate funeral rituals marking the death of King Carnival, who is typically burned on a [[pyre]] in what is called the "burial of the [[sardine]]" (''enterrament de la sardina''), or, in Vilanova, as ''l'enterro''.<ref name="Erickson, Brad 2008">Erickson, Brad. 2008. Sensory Politics: Catalan Ritual and the New Immigration. University of California, Berkeley.</ref>

The Carnival of [[Vilanova i la Geltrú]] has a documented history from 1790<ref name="Garcia, Xavier 1972">Garcia, Xavier. 1972. ''Vilanova i la Geltrú i el seu gran Carnaval''. Barcelona: Editorial Pòrtic.</ref> and is one of the richest in the variety of its acts and rituals. It adopts an ancient style in which satire, the [[grotesque body]]<ref name=Bakhtin/> (particularly [[cross-dressing]] and displays of exaggerated bellies, noses, and phalli), and, above all, active participation are valued over glamorous, media-friendly spectacles that Vilanovins mock as "thighs and feathers".<ref>''Diari de Vilanova''. 2006. "Surten 50 carrosses a rebre un Carnestoltes que no ve". 24, 22 February.</ref> It is best known for ''Les Comparses'', a tumultuous dance held on Sunday in which thousands of dancers in traditional dresses and ''Mantons de Manila'' (Manila Shawls), organized into groups of couples march in the street forming lines while throwing tons of hard candies at one another. Vilanovinians organize several rituals during the week. On ''Dijous Gras,'' Vilanovin children are excused from school to participate in the ''Merengada,'' a day-long scene of eating and fighting with sticky, sweet [[meringue]] while adults have a meringue battle at midnight at the historic ''Plaça de les Cols''.

[[File:Merengada.jpg|thumb|Children become covered in meringue during Dijous Gras, in Vilanova, Catalonia, Spain]]

On Friday citizens are called to a parade for the arrival of King Carnival called ''l'Arrivo'' that changes every year. It includes a raucous procession of floats and dancers lampooning current events or public figures and a bitingly satiric sermon (''el sermo'') delivered by the King himself. On Saturday, the King's procession and his [[concubine]]s scandalize the town with their sexual behavior; the mysterious ''Moixo Foguer'' (Little-Bird-Bonfire) is shown accompanied by the ''Xerraire'' (jabberer), who try to convince the crowd about the wonders that this mighty bird carries in a box (which ends up being in fact a naked person covered in feathers);<ref>''Diari de Vilanova''. 2006. "Plomes amb control sanitari per al Moixó". 24 February 23.</ref> and other items such as: sport acts and barbecues in the streets; the ''talking-dance'' of the Mismatched Couples (''Ball de Malcasats''); the children's King ''Caramel'' whose massive belly, long nose and sausage-like hair hint at his insatiable appetites; or the debauched ''Nit dels Mascarots'' dance.

[[File:Malcasats.jpg|thumb|The Ball de Malcasats (Dance of the Mismatched Couples) is a satiric talking-dance traditional to Carnaval in Vilanova, Catalonia, Spain.]]

After Sunday, vilanovinians continue its Carnival with the children's party ''Vidalet'', the satirical chorus of Carnestoltes songs and the last night of revelry, the ''Vidalot.'' For the King's funeral, people dress in elaborate mourning costume, many of them cross-dressing men who carry bouquets of phallic vegetables. In the funeral house, the body of the King is surrounded by weeping concubines, crying over the loss of sexual pleasure brought about by his death. The King's body is carried to the ''Plaça de la Vila'' where a satiric eulogy is delivered while the townspeople eat salty grilled sardines with bread and wine, suggesting the symbolic [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]] of the communion ritual. Finally, amid rockets and explosions, the King's body is burned in a massive pyre.<ref name="Erickson, Brad 2008"/><ref name="Garcia, Xavier 1972"/>

[[File:Rucs de Solsona.jpg|thumb|upright|Donkeys of [[Solsona, Lleida|Solsona]], Catalonia, Spain, hung in the tower bell]]

Carnaval de Solsona takes place in [[Solsona, Lleida]]. It is one of the longest; free events in the streets and nightly concerts run for more than a week. The Carnival is known for a legend that explains how a donkey was hung at the tower bell − because the animal wanted to eat grass that grew on the top of the tower. To celebrate this legend, locals hang a stuffed donkey at the tower that "pisses" above the excited crowd using a water pump. This event is the most important and takes place on Saturday night. For this reason, the inhabitants are called ''matarrucs'' ("donkey killers").<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.onsortir.cat/contents/1027/so/612.jpg |title=OnSortir |work=onsortir.cat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219004539/http://www.onsortir.cat/contents/1027/so/612.jpg |archive-date=19 February 2010 }}</ref>

"Comparses" groups organize free activities. These groups of friends create and personalize a uniformed suit to wear during the festivities.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

In [[Sitges]], special feasts include {{lang|ca|xatonades}} (''[[xató]]'' is a traditional local salad of the Penedès coast) served with omelettes. Two important moments are the ''Rua de la Disbauxa'' (Debauchery Parade) on Sunday night and the ''Rua de l'Extermini'' (Extermination Parade) on Tuesday night.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protocol del Carnaval de Sitges |url=http://www.sitges.cat/ja-es-carnaval/fitxers/protocol-carnaval-03122015.pdf |publisher=Ajuntament de Sitges |access-date=14 August 2022 |language=ca |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928194552/http://www.sitges.cat/ja-es-carnaval/fitxers/protocol-carnaval-03122015.pdf |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> In 2022, the Rua de la Disbauxa hosted 34 floats and over 1,200 participants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sàtira i espectacularitat, protagonistes de la Rua de la Disbauxa |url=https://www.sitges.cat/serveis/festes/actualitat/noticies/satira-i-espectacularitat-protagonistes-de-la-rua-de-la-disbauxa |website=Ajuntament de Sitges |access-date=14 August 2022 |language=ca |date=28 August 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307104948/https://www.sitges.cat/serveis/festes/actualitat/noticies/satira-i-espectacularitat-protagonistes-de-la-rua-de-la-disbauxa |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Tarragona]] has one of the region's most complete ritual sequences. The events start with the building of a huge barrel and ends with its burning with the effigies of the King and Queen. On Saturday, the main parade takes place with masked groups, zoomorphic figures, music, and percussion bands, and groups with [[fireworks]] (the devils, the dragon, the ox, the female dragon). Carnival groups stand out for their clothes full of elegance, showing brilliant examples of fabric crafts, at the Saturday and Sunday parades. About 5,000 people are members of the parade groups.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}