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Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Carnaval Tuesday: The Main Carnaval Parade
The program for Tenerife Carnaval, says the parade kicks off from around 4 p.m. this afternoon in the Avenidas de Anaga y Marítima (map) along the sea front in Santa Cruz, culminating in a huge fireworks display (around 9 - 9.30 p.m.)
This video shows a montage of photos from the main Coso or carnaval parade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2007 and here's a half hour film from that same Coso Apoteósico (Finale in the main streets), which last year drew a crowd of 110,000. Today is a holiday in the city of Santa Cruz, but as people come from all around the island (and world), numbers in the evening will swell to "and the rest."
Friday night's carnaval parade 
only announced that carnaval was ready (once all the contests had been held, the queen chosen, etc.) Today's is the Grand Finale.
Photo: pano_philouSo while Pancake Day may be at risk of dying out in the UK, I don't see evidence of carnaval losing its popularity, especially attendance at the main parade on Shrove Tuesday, or Carnaval Tuesday.
As is traditional, the parade will be headed by the Afilarmónica Ni Fú-Ni Fá , followed by 26 floats - which will include all 17 of the candidates for carnaval queen, not just the queen and her attendants - plus all the various dancing and singing troupes; comparsas, murgas, rondallas, etc.
There are also the familiar characters at carnaval such as; Charlie Chaplin, Fidel Castro, Kermit and Miss Piggy and even a touch of Elton John and Queen Marie-Antoinette - not to mention the hundreds that defy identification! 
Bright colors in 2007's Coso.
Photo: pano_philouThese figures have become such local "institutions" (Santiago Díaz has been Harpo Marx since 1969, Francisco Arvelo became Michael Jackson in 1992), that there was an outpouring of public concern when Tenerife's Fidel Castro (real name, Antonio Meseguer) was stabbed during the 2006 Carnaval. Fortunately, he recovered from his injuries. The perp, however, Juan Francisco P.S. was condemned to 14 years in prison for attempted murder.
The following article, Por siempre y jamás del Carnaval (in Spanish) talks about these carnaval personalities and how they've become flagships of the fiestas.
Later on the 150 kilos or so of explosives, around 500 fireworks, will be provided by Los Realejos firm, Hermanos Toste and, of course, there's the funfair, the various bands for dancing in the streets until the next morning ...
The other thing I need to point out to those not familiar with the whole carnaval culture is that, though this parade is the carnaval's finale (because today is Shrove Tuesday and therefore carnaval "ends", because tomorrow is lent), there is the "funeral" (The Burial of the Sardine) tomorrow, Ash Wednesday and, even then the party continues in Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz through to the weekend, later moving on to other towns on the island.
Among traditional eats at carnaval time here (apart from perros calientes (hot dogs) and the mountains of other food at street stalls) are Rebandas de Carnaval or these Sopas de miel (literally honey soup, but which aren't soup at all.)
It's a chilly 54 °F / 12 °C in the north of Tenerife this morning, with some ominous scattered clouds. There nearly always are for carnaval day, but it'll warm up and there are no serious weather systems about, as far as I know.
Getting there and back: the bus company, TITSA, have as always, put on extra buses. This news item lists many of the numbers affected. For visitors coming from the south of the island, the bus number 111 from Las Americas to Santa Cruz is the most useful as the extra ones will run through the night and become virtually carnaval coaches and an extension of the party. Who needs Rio?
The Coso Apoteosis del Carnaval parade is being televised live by TVCanaria from 4 .p.m. this afternoon. It can also be seen on the Spanish mainland (at 5 p.m. there) on Digital+ (dial 96), in Europe via Astra or Hispasat satellites and, in America via TVCanaria's International Channel (from 11 a.m. EST).
More images of Carnaval de Santa Cruz 2007, Carnaval 2007 in Tenerife, gallery of photos, Carnaval 2007, more Carnaval 2007, Carnaval 2007
Le Carnaval de Tenerife (en Français)
Carnaval numbers keep increasing ...
Some 60,000 people - 10,000 more than last year - attended yesterday's parody fiesta of Los Indianos in La Palma, according to local police, report ABC.
Labels: Carnaval 2008
