The Carnival Of Santa Cruz De Tenerife Brings South American Flair To Europe
Not only is Tenerife the largest of the Canary Islands, it is also home to the largest annual carnival in Europe. Such is the scale and popularity of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, that the city is actually paired with Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the world-famous Rio Carnival.
Tenerife’s capital city hosts the popular Carnival every February, with a different main theme picked year-on-year. Recent themes have included horror movies, pirates, Hollywood musicals, and magic. The variety of themes ensures a new and unique experience at every visit, with the planning period for the weekend’s main festivities far-reaching.
Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain by Prefeitura de Olinda / License: Creative Commons
Floats and dance routines are planned months in advance; this is by no means an improvised mess – Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a celebration which would more accurately be described as organised chaos and genuine excitement for the exotic exuberance such a celebration brings. The official Carnival contains meticulously planned flair and routine, while the street Carnival is based around the everyday revelers joining in with their own celebrations and costumes. The streets are awash with colour as homemade costumes come out to join the festivities in whichever way they seem fit.
While the Carnival is widely viewed as a weekend event, there are in fact many events on the days building up to the weekend as well as in the days after. The party in fact continues up to the beginning of Lent – with Shrove Tuesday marking the official end of the Carnival, with a sardine-themed day following on Ash Wednesday – an experience which has to be seen to be believed!
The party atmosphere explodes onto the streets in a flash of colour and music, drawing visitors from the world over. Inhibitions are let go as revelers celebrate over many days. Whether you want to visit the officially organised events or go wild at the street carnival, the party continues long into every night and resumes the next morning with renewed enthusiasm.
The Carnival Queen is the undisputed star of the entire event, with the prestigious honour handed out to the most beautiful of the year’s contestants on the Wednesday before Carnival weekend. She becomes the icon of the year’s festival, representing the island and all Carnival related activities. Voting and campaigning for the position of Carnival Queen begins well in advance of the festivities, with the contestants usually acquiring sponsorship from large corporations in order to promote their candidacy. Dresses can weigh on average up to 200lb and stand at over 20ft tall, making them extremely difficult to wear and expensive to make. The coronation is broadcast for the entire country to enjoy live, with a panel of judges and a text vote determining the winner.
For those who want to experience the Carnival atmosphere but do not wish to make the arduous journey to Brazil, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife provides the perfect alternative. Once you experience the non-stop partying the locals of Santa Cruz provide with open arms for tourists, you might just find yourself a regular visitor.
Fernando Navas is a native to the Canary Islands and always returns home for Carnival. He recommends experiencing the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife at least once and searching for cheap holidays to Tenerife to provides the perfect party opportunity.
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