Monday 17 January 2011

Las Palmas 2011 Carnival - Gran Canaria


Gran Canaria's "party of the year" is the Las Palmas Carnival which is due to start on the 15 February and last through to the 12 March 2011.

As well a flamboyant parades and all-night parties, there are local competitions in Parque Santa Catalina to elect the best chorus group, drag queen and carnival queen. 

A long-standing tradition on the island of Gran Canaria [although General Franco did his best to spoil the party until his death in 1975], many event are fancy dress parties and beauty pageants in which a carnival queen and drag queen are elected.  Each year, the costumes become more extravagant and competition is fierce.

You will find that carnivals on the Canary Islands tend to last longer than those on the mainland and usually stop on Ash Wednesday.  Celebrations in Las Palmas continue until the "day of mourning" for the symbol of the carnival - the sardine.  A huge sardine is marched through the streets as everyone follows in funeral costume.  The following day, the sardine is buried on the beach to fireworks, bonfires and all-night parties.  For more details, visit http://www.lpacarnaval.com/




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