Barcelona Carnival 2013

Like most places all over the world; Barcelona has its own carnival, and like in most European countries, it's a time of year where people take to the streets in costume, making it a great time of the year for tourists to simply walk the streets of Barcelona and encounter all manner of colourful personalities. It's especially a great time of the year for children, who also love to dress up as their favourite characters.

Dijous Gras and Rei Carnestoltes

Carnival in Barcelona starts on "Dijous Gras" which means Fat Thursday in Catalan, it is called this way as it's generally considered to be a day where people feast in preparation for Lent. On this day, people traditionally eat 'botifarra d'ou', (A regional sausage containing egg) and truita de botifarra (an omelette that contains the sausage). Rei Carnestoltes (the carnival king) arrives representing the sin and vices of humanity, he usually brings with him characters representing the 7 sins. He keeps the party going throughout the entire carnival, turning up for many of the parades... That is until the last day of carnival, the day before lent, where his reign is put to an end, where he is burnt (well, an effigy of him) and everyone dresses in black to mourn his passing.

Parades

Last year, the biggest parade - "La Gran Rua de la Ciutat Barcelona", did not happen, however this year it has been scheduled so you should definitely try to attend. If for whatever reason it gets cancelled though, or you can't make it, there are plenty of parades all across the city to keep you entertained.

Other activities

Apart from the parades and feasting, there are also other activities. For example, you can check out the markets around Barcelona, where the prestigious 'Pebrot d'Or' is given to the most well themed market stall. Each district in Barcelona usually organise there own events, so depending on where you're staying you'll have different activities on your doorstep.

If you want more information on where the parades will be, leave a message on the OK Apartment Facebook Page and we'll give you more details.