The town of Sitges, located just a short hop from Barcelona, Spain, will welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to its carnival again in 2013.
(TRAVPR.COM) UK/SPAIN - February 6th, 2013 - Rio de Janeiro may be the most famous site for carnival festivities in the world, but the enthusiasm levels in Sitges could give the Brazilians a run for their money. For more than 100 years, Sitges Carnival has been a Spanish tradition.
For 2013, the biggest week of the festivities will be from 6th to 13th February, with parades on display on both the 10th and the 12th.
Carnival begins not on Mardi Gras, after the French pronunciation, but on Dijous Gras, which is the local Catalan name for ‘Fat Thursday’. It is on this day that King Carnestoltes arrives to kick off the festivities. The carnival in Sitges is characterised by a variety of key local traditions, including folk dancing and a food item rather unique to the region: xatonada. This consists of a local specialty salad served alongside a selection of omelettes.
For many, the Rua de la Disbauxa is the most important moment of the festivities; the so-called Debauchery Parade takes place each year on a Sunday night and is followed shortly afterward by the Rua de l'Extermini, or Extermination Parade, which traditionally falls on a Tuesday.
During these parades, as many as 40 floats proceed down the avenues of this historic town, accompanied by up to 2,000 visitor-spectators who cannot help but join in all of the boisterous fun.
In previous years, the Sitges Carnival has attracted as many as 300,000 individuals. Despite the presence of large crowds, this carnival is regarded as one of Europe's safest; the parades feature a safety fence to keep the event organised. Children participate in the event in their fancy dress costumes during the afternoons.
For more details on the fun and frolics that make up the Sitges Carnival, check out the official Sitges tourism website at http://sitgestur.cat/turismo_barcelona/.
Anyone still looking for holiday accommodation during the event should contact Sitges Hills Villas on UK + 44 (0)20 3287 6597 or Spain + 34 659 516 745.
Sitges Hills Villas offer an exclusive collection of high quality holiday rentals in and around the beautiful town of Sitges. View the property collection at www.SitgesHillsVillas.com.
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