Burial of the Sardine
Encyclopedia
The "Burial of the Sardine" (Entierro de la sardina) is a Spanish ceremony celebrating the end of carnival
and other festivities. The "Burials" generally consist of a carnival parade that parodies a funeral procession and culminates with the burning of a symbolic figure, usually a representation of a sardine. The "Burial of the Sardine" during carnival is celebrated on Ash Wednesday
and is a symbolical burial of the past to allow society to be reborn, transformed and with new vigour.
Many Spanish festivals end with ceremonies in which a symbol representing the excesses of the festival is burned or destroyed — although some have been lost, others have been revived. Similar celebrations include the "Fiesta del Judas", the "Burning of the Haragán" (la quema del haragán), and the "Burning of the Raspajo" (la quema del raspajo). The burning of an effigy represents a regeneration and liberation — the passage of the symbol through the fire represents a purging of the vices and a restoration of the order temporarily subverted during the festival; in ceremonies of symbolical burial, the theme is one of reflection.
an oil-on-panel painting of a ceremony in Madrid by Francisco Goya
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
and other festivities. The "Burials" generally consist of a carnival parade that parodies a funeral procession and culminates with the burning of a symbolic figure, usually a representation of a sardine. The "Burial of the Sardine" during carnival is celebrated on Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
and is a symbolical burial of the past to allow society to be reborn, transformed and with new vigour.
Many Spanish festivals end with ceremonies in which a symbol representing the excesses of the festival is burned or destroyed — although some have been lost, others have been revived. Similar celebrations include the "Fiesta del Judas", the "Burning of the Haragán" (la quema del haragán), and the "Burning of the Raspajo" (la quema del raspajo). The burning of an effigy represents a regeneration and liberation — the passage of the symbol through the fire represents a purging of the vices and a restoration of the order temporarily subverted during the festival; in ceremonies of symbolical burial, the theme is one of reflection.
See also
The Burial of the SardineThe Burial of the Sardine
The Burial of the Sardine is an oil-on-panel painting by Spanish artist Francisco Goya, usually dated to the 1810s. The title is posthumous, referring to the culminating event of a three-day carnival in Madrid ending on Ash Wednesday...
an oil-on-panel painting of a ceremony in Madrid by Francisco Goya
Francisco Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown, and through his works was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era...