Carnival Customs brece amd spain

Greece and Spain

Bits and Pieces of Culture

Carnival Customs

By class 6B Greece 2nd Primary school of Paralias

Patra’s CarnivalThe biggest Carnival in Greece!

Οld funny song in which children mimic the animals of the farm. “When I go to the market, my lady, Ι will buy you a cock and then a birdie, a chicken and so on (a kitty, a doggy, a sheep, a piggy, a donkey)”. Have fun and maybe try to sing the song too, together with our class 5!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-5rGgnTiG4&feature=youtu.be

Early 19th century - The Carnival started in Patra 1829: The first ball in the house of a rich merchant.

• Italians and people from the Ionian Islands came to Patra and brought their Carnival customs with them. That’s why Patra’s Carnival is not traditional but has western European characteristics.

The history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnRbQMaIa4M&feature=youtu.be

The week before the opening evening, a small float with the ‘crier’ drives around the city inviting people to go to the Opening ceremony! In the morning, dance groups and music bands walk around the centre creating a Carnival atmosphere!

Patras Carnival Opening

The Opening Ceremony is on a Saturday evening near St. Anthony’s Day, the 17th of January. A lot of people meet in George Square, the biggest square in the centre of Patra. The city floats come and the Mayor of Patra starts the Carnival. There are fireworks, famous singers and dance groups and all the people dance and have fun.

Patras Carnival Opening

Hundreds of people from Patra and other cities make Carnival groups. Each group has a number, a name and a costume and sometimes a float! These groups participate in many competitions and in the Treasure Hunt. There are competitions for the best mask, the best painting, the best hairstyle, the best costume, the best hat, the best float and many more! The Treasure Hunt asks them questions about Patra’s History, riddles and asks the groups to do things like: bring the heaviest rooster you can find! The final score from all these games determines the group’s place in the Grand Parades on the final weekend! This group is the big winner of the Carnival!

GROUPS &TREASURE HUNT

DRAWING COMPETITION IN THE CITY STREETS

• In 1968 the Baby Rally started! Children in Carnival costumes rode their bikes around Patra’s streets!

Children’s BABY RALLY

• But now we have the children’s Carnival Parade! It is on a Sunday morning, usually 1 or 2 weeks before the final weekend!
• Private schools or Parents’ Associations of public schools choose a costume based on each year’s topic!
• During the parade there is a lot of music and dancing!!!
• Together with the groups there are small floats with funny topics.

Children’s carnival PARADE

• There are many carnival floats. The big ones are made in the City Workshop but there are also many floats made by the groups. There are also many funny statues that decorate the city! The biggest float is the Carnival’s King and there is a beautiful float for the Carnival Queen!

Floats

• 2 GRAND PARADES:
• SATURDAY EVENING
• The climax of fun. Thousands of masqueraders join the 2 Carnival parades! On Saturday evening they often carry lights or torches or strange lit-objects. It is dark when it finishes!

• SUNDAY MORNING
• On Sunday it is the Grand Parade! All the floats, the groups, musicians parade at the best time of the Carnival!

• SUNDAY NIGHT
• THE CLOSING CEREMONY
• All the people go to the Port!
• The Mayor ends the Carnival and invites the people to dance till the next morning!
• A float is on a boat and is set on fire!
• Fireworks and loud music mark the end of the Carnival! But everything finishes the next morning!
• It is a night of parties all around the city!
• The city centre is a huge party!

For more information visit https://www.carnivalpatras.gr/en/

CARNIVAL CUSTOMS IN SPAIN

• Carnivals are celebrated around Spain but the most famous ones take place in Cádiz, Tenerife and Badajoz.

CARNIVAL IN SPAIN

• It is an old festival that has been celebrated since the Middle Age.
• Traditionally it starts on Thursday and ends on Tuesday.

ORIGINS OF CARNIVAL

Carnival combines costumes, parades and fun in a party. It consists of dressing up on the street,all people usually parade and dance.

CARNIVAL CUSTOMS

• In Cádiz (Andalucía), the ``chirigotas´´ are very famous. The chirigota is a group of choral musicians that sing humorous songs.

CARNIVAL IN CÁDIZ

• In Tenerife people elaborate suits to participate in contests.
• The figure of the queen of the carnival is typical in Tenerife. Previously a king was chosen, but that changed.

CARNIVAL IN TENERIFE

The ``murga´´ is a theatrical genre inspired by the ``chirigotas´´that mixes satirical theater with music.

CARNIVALS IN BADAJOZ

• In Spain the most famous intruments in carnival are the: ``the matraca´´, ``the mirlitón´´ or the bombo.

CARNIVAL INSTRUMENTS

The carnivals of Albacete are the oldest in Spain. The events that are celebrated in the carnivals of Albacete are: day of the ``mona´´, carnival poster and carnival parade.

CARNIVALS IN ALBACETE

• At the end of the carnival week, in Spain we celebrate ´´el entierro de la sardina´´ (Burial of the Sardine).

´´EL ENTIERRO DE LA SARDINA´´ (BURIAL OF THE SARDINE)

• This year we have chosen the theme of the sea. The costumes can be: fish, mermaids, pirates, sailors… We will parade through the streets with music, we will dance and have fun.

THIS YEAR´S CARNIVALS IN MONTEALEGRE DEL CASTILLO