carnival part two

I celebrated Carnival again the following week at school. It was sort of like a spirit week, except there was no spirit week committee to organize it all. Instead, a creepy white doll called "pelele" (controlled by Loli, the Esme---for-anyone-who´s-seen-Emperor´s New Groove---esq secretary) sat in the window on the backside of the school with a sign mandating the following day´s carnival status: on Monday, we were to wear doctor´s clothes. On Tuesday, we were to wear all one color. Then on Wednesday, we were to wear aprons for the first half, and respective costumes for the second (when the party would go down). There really wasn´t very much sense to any of it at all.

The party was great. And by great, I mean hilarious. It may have been more unorganized than the Christmas party, but that is debatable considering the crazy parents were allowed to come to that one, bringing it to a whole new level of chaoticness. Either way, I really enjoyed witnessing the whole thing, which consisted of each grade taking their turn in parading around in their costumes in the gym (it was raining) to the carnival song ("carnival! te quiero!"), then the 5th and 6th graders breakdancing, or something like it. Despite the party´s lack of organization, or actual activities, it was a really fun time.

Afterwards, we did the "entierro de las sardines" (burial of the sardines)--more or less a giant fish funeral. All week we had been colorfully decorating giant paper sardines, then filling them with newspapers, for this very ritual. I am a still a little unclear about the origins of this tradition--as I have heard several different histories. But a basic, pieced together version I can offer: after carnival´s rather egregious behavior, the good Catholics must do away with their sins, and how better than to burn them? Then there will be no trace left behind! And my only explanation for the sardines is that once lent starts, it is tradition to give up meat for 40 days. Does anyone actually do this anymore?

Anyway, it is also tradition to dress in mourning clothes for the entierro, but Benito Perez Galdos is far too unorganized to pull this one off. Funny though...Veronica was telling me about her experience as a grade school kid during carnival--that she and her friends, once the fish were set on fire, would begin crying, then sobbing, dressed from head to toe in black. What a sight that must have been.

all the teachers dressed up as fireman!