Interesting fact..... Fat Thursday - Similar to Shrove Tuesday....

Spain Jueves Ladero (Fat Thursday) is this Thursday Feb 16th This similar to ‘shrove Tuesday’. Starts the ‘carnival’ and is also known as the day of the Tortilla. And is a bank holiday, well at least here in Orce. The celebration differs from region to region but this Thrusday here in Orce , the community heads to the campo and bosque, (Forest) in groups, to cook tortillias, along with all the food cleared from the larder, meat and bread, vegetables, fruits ect, to celebrate before lent and cook and prepare a mega meal starting, to prepare around 12 midday on open fires and getting ready fo the 40 days and 40 nights of lent.

Thus the ‘carnaval’ not quite as I know it, starts but called a carnival all the same. Over the next couple of weeks after night fall ,here in Orce , people will go knocking on doors in fancy dress, they key objective is not to be recognisable. You can answer the door, but you don't have to. Many are woken in the night and will shout down from a bedroom window but the person in fancy dress is meant to never reveal who they are or speak. I believe they represent the taking on the responsibility of the sins of all things bad from the previous year in Orce.

This all culminates in the carnival day, which here in Orce, will be 25th Feb. But actually more like the night of the carnival festivities are not starting until 11pm and finishing in the early hours of the following morning, Key to this is the fancy dress dance, getting togeather of the community, at the cultural centre. And there you have it.

how are they celebrating elsewhere ?

and pic of how Juevas Ladero looks

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We are going to Aguilas this weekend to the carnaval there - it started on 11th and finishes on 25th........a very big carnaval there

I know Alejandro has to dress up for nursery however no one has told me anything yet so not sure how we celebrate in Castillejar......yet!!