Carnival has its roots in pagan winter festivals celebrated as early as the time of the Greeks and Romans. This celebration is closely linked to the lunar calendar, as its date is defined by the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent and the last day of Carnival, is established by counting forty days back from Palm Sunday.
Seven days before Ash Wednesday, the brief reign of Carnival begins. This festivity, known as the feast of meat, is a clear example of the link with gastronomy before the Lenten sacrifice. On Fat Thursday, it is traditional to eat egg sausage, omelets, and crackling cake (coca de llardons).
Lent and Carnival have historically represented the struggle between fun and seriousness, marking a period of excess followed by one of sacrifice.
The revelry and costume parades end on Ash Wednesday, the day of the Burial of the Sardine. This theatrical ceremony simulates the death of Carnival and the burial of excess, giving way to the austerity of Lent, where traditionally abundant meals are replaced by a diet of soups with oil, vegetables, and water, allowing fish only on Sundays.
