Carnavalcázar

Carnavalcázar is an absolutely unique festival on the Spanish festive calendar. Declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest in 1991, it takes place from 24 to 28 December — not in February as one might expect. Its origins date back to the 19th century, when Holy Innocents' Day celebrations grew in popularity until they surpassed the carnival itself. Over four days, the balconies of Alcázar fill with peleles — decorated rag dolls competing in a popular contest — the streets vibrate with troupes and satirical groups, and the Burial of the Sardine closes the festivities with a burlesque procession in which local authorities parade in costume, culminating in a grand sardine feast in the bullring.