Malaga Carnival es a very popular event celebrated every year before Easter in the different neighbourhoods and main streets of the city with plenty of activities for everyone.
Carnival ends with the called ‘Burial of the Anchovie’ on Malagueta beach and until that day there are many kind of events, parades and contests: Winner of Mono God, Goddess of Carnival, Prince and Princess, children Momo God, Children Goddess or winner of Drag Queen contest and carnival groups.
Official carnival groups must be appointed before carnival dates and will act at the Cervantes Theatre.
When is Carnival in Malaga?
The date can vary each year, in 2016 the carnival was celebrated between 30 January and 7 February
History of the Carnival
The origin of the carnival possibly dated back to ancient Sumerian civilization or ancient Egypt, there is evidence of similar celebrations in the Roman and Greek empires. Later it would expand throughout Europe and America; It was recovered in the Middle Ages by Italy.
Today the carnival may be celebrated slightly different depending on where in the world we are.
In Malaga the begining of the carnival was made by the crergyat the early sixteenth century although the working class and the bourgeousie would take the control from the eighteenth century to the first half of the nineteenth century. Dances and a party was organized in the main squares of Malaga and hymns about personalities and other burlesque songs were interpreted, they were the called ‘comparsas’ (carnival groups). Not until the mid-nineteenth century until different formations are consolidated to musical expression of the latest news in the country.
Carnivals continue until weel into the tweentieth century, it was a tourist attraction in Spain to tackle the economic crisis, a crisis that caused the arrival of the authoritarian dictatorship and the end of this festivity among many others.
It was not until 1979 and after the end of this dark time for Spain when the freedom would allow them to bring the carnival back with musicians, groups and choirs.
Burial of the sardine or anchovy in Malaga (End of Carnival)
The burial of the sardine or burial of anchovy as it is called in Malaga is an act that set the end of this festivity and takes place with a carnival parade from Constitucion Square to Malagueta beach carrying a large anchovy (symbol of Malaga). the end of carnival takes place on Ash Wednesday.
