The Comparsas are large groups of people, about 100 in each group, all dressed in very eleborate and intricate costumes. Each comparsa has a group that dances and is followed my a group of drummers. Each group selects a theme shorter after Carnaval for the next year, and the people in these groups work on the costumes, dances and music all year. There was a children's parade on Friday and the adult parade on Sunday, with about 20 Comparsas in each parade. The costumes were amazing!
The Murgas are groups of people who sing humerous and satirical songs. They are normally politically or socially driven, and there is a competition every year for the best Murgas. The competition begins a week or two before Carnaval and the winner is selected during the celebration. I went to see one of the groups, but I couldn't really understand the jokes they were singing about.
There are two main nights that people celebrate all night in the streets. Everyone dressed up in costumes, like for Halloween. I dressed up as a nerd one day and a ninja the other day. Both nights there is a Botellon, or "Big Bottle". Botellon is common the rest of the year too, where people gather outdoors and drink. During Carnaval though, there are thousands of people in the plazas in the old part of the city.
On Monday night everyone stays out until the next morning, and goes directly to the Burial of the Sardine. This year it was raining, so there weren't as many people there as there usually are. The Burrial of the Sardine is the symbolic end of Carnaval. It consists of people dressed as "death" carrying a stuffed Sardine, while a man dressed as a widow cries and acts as if someone very important has died. The bars all served fried sardines and beer. It was quite ridiculous, especially at 10am after being out dressed as a Nija all night.
Click to see photos from Hoy neswpaper of Burrial of the Sardine
That's Carnaval in a nutshell. It was a lot of fun, but by the end I was so tired!
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