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32 | Gazette Life | February 2026The spirit ofCarnivalCarnival means %u201cfarewell to meat%u201d, and is the last chance to eat, drink and be merry before the 40 days of fasting in Lent. In the UK, it is celebrated with a few pancakes but in more traditionally catholic countries, carnival is a much bigger deal %u2013 a few days when the world is turned upside-down.Carnival has roots in ancient pagan celebrations, but it is Italy %u2013 and in particular, Venice -where modern carnival traditions such as parades and disguises were born. The tradition spread around the world, expressing itself in famous celebrations such as New Orleans%u2019 Mardi Gras and the immense carnival of Rio de Janeiro. The Canaries have always embraced carnival %u2013 far more so than the solemn Easter processions that are usual in Spain. Although Franco%u2019s dictatorship attempted to ban the %u201cpagan, subversive%u201d celebrations, the tradition re-emerged after the return to democracy, and is now stronger than ever.The essence of carnival is reversal %u2013 a pauper can be a King or Queen for the day, and a wealthy dignitary can masquerade as a peasant. Cross-dressing is common and you are permitted to get up to all sorts of antics behind your mask. Once the parades are over, drinking and merrymaking often carries on until the early hours. It is a time that celebrates transformation, creativity and fleeting beauty. C%u00e9sar Manrique loved carnival, and it has always brought out the imagination of participants, many of whom spend months preparing their costumes, their floats and their songs and dances. Of course, not everyone enjoys carnival %u2013 there are plenty of locals who claim not to be %u201cmuy carnivalero%u201d, and prefer to stay at home, and the often risque, ribald humour on display can occasionally offend, but the streets are always packed for the parades.And every year, there%u2019ll be a moment when the pounding clatter of the drums starts to make your head nod and your hips move, and the sight of feathered costumes swaying and catching the last rays of sunshine, the flash of sequins, the smiles and sheer joy on display, make you realise that this is something special, one of those moments that makes life worth living.