Carnival history 1984

 The Santoña Carnival was unstoppable; not even a heavy snowfall could stop it, such was the enthusiasm of an entire town devoted to the celebration of a festival that kept growing.

 

he 1984 carnival was held on March 2, 3, and 4, departing from the February standard as the usual carnival month, due to Holy Week and Lent.

The year 1984 highlighted the unstoppable rise that the recovery of the carnival had taken on by the people of Santoña, and before 1983 ended, in mid-December, the carnival committee already had the program for the upcoming carnivals complete.

Such was the rise of the Carnival that in all media we could find news related to our carnival, different opinion articles, and even letters to the newspaper’s editor. Here we retrieve one from Jose Carlos Juncal Ibaceta, then Culture Councilor of the Santoña City Council.

"The Santoña Carnival and the Mayor"

 
Director:

.....Once upon a time, there was a town, a village in a region that gave its name to a sea. That town has lived its carnival since ancient times.

 A carnival passed down from parents to children, from grandparents to grandchildren; it is something inherent to its being and feeling. That carnival... is me.
 Allow me to introduce myself: I am the Santoña Carnival. I am part of the carefree joy, the harmless prank, the satire, the critical murga, the nonsense dialogue, the beauty, the feigned ugliness, the dazzling and varied colors, the friendship, the freedom of expression, the collaboration, and the work of children, youth, adults, and elders. I am spontaneity, ingenuity, fantasy, rain, wind, snow, sun, the off-key note, the trombone, the guitar chord, the song, a kiss in a corner, hope, red wine, rosé, the bacilón, the charanga, the rondalla, fun, the “Judgment at the Bottom of the Sea,” the “Hake Burial”... tradition.

 

 He various groups, peñas, and associations were immersed in preparing the costumes they would wear in the upcoming carnival. The murgas, for their part, rehearsed their repertoires; in total, nine murga groups participated, including "Los Tronzacamas," the peña "Juan de la Cosa," "Los Calocas," "Los Galipoteros," "Los Chapuzas," "Los Vinikis" and the peña "La Zarceta", which has three groups, representing a total of 17 murgas.

 Meanwhile, Santoña’s peñas, like "Los Ronceros," "Vinikis," "Banda de Cartón," "Cántabros" and "Baninsa," continued their rehearsals to enliven the streets during carnival days. Additionally, peña La Zarceta kept working on the fish that will be used in the famous "Judgment at the Bottom of the Sea". Meanwhile, the parade groups spent hours making and finalizing costumes for the grand Carnival Saturday parade.

 In short, the entire town was focused on preparations so that the carnival would continue growing and maintaining its splendor.

The press echoed everything brewing in those pre-carnival days, and Diario Montañés reflected this in its publication on February 28, 1984.

                               "Santoña Finalizes Preparations for Carnival"

 "...The atmosphere currently reigning in the town of Santoña in anticipation of its famous carnival celebrations, which will begin next Friday and end on Sunday, is incredible. Nearly all its inhabitants are, these days, preparing festival programs or creating their colorful and original costumes, which they will later wear with pride.

 We must highlight the dedication of the local peñas and their raucous charangas, who are intensifying their rehearsals, putting their efforts into preparing the famous 'judgment at sea,' the culmination of these renowned Santoña Carnivals, which enjoy fame not only regionally and will take place on Sunday, the 4th, starting at eight in the evening in the popular San Antonio square..."

The carnival was growing, and the city council issued a booklet with all the events to be held during the Carnivals, in addition to the lyrics that the murgas would sing on Friday night in San Antonio Square so that no one would miss it. A handout was also published to promote the "Judgment at the Bottom of the Sea," listing the cast of the participating actors.

                                

 And the long-awaited carnival arrived, and, as every year, the Children’s Day kicked off days of joy and fun for an entire town eager to show why the Santoña carnival is a popular carnival made by and for the people. From the first day, it was evident how the town began to fill, and the children's parade had, according to the press of the time, over 2,500 people. This parade lasted just over 50 minutes and went through the town center streets.

This was only the prelude to what would come next. On Saturday, the town overflowed: more than 7,000 people participated in the grand carnival parade, while thousands more crowded the sides of the nearly 800-meter circuit, lasting over two and a half hours. Special mention should go to the perfect organization of the different parades by the Santoña radio enthusiasts group, who, since the carnival’s revival, had been involved in organizing these events.

The turnout was such that the bars ran out of supplies, despite expecting residents from nearby towns to come to Santoña during carnival, further reaffirming it as a carnival reference in northern Spain.

On Sunday, the Day of Mourning was held, with "The Judgment at the Bottom of the Sea" as the main event. Once again, San Antonio square was packed; so much so that people even climbed the trees surrounding the square, as no one wanted to miss it.

Such was the impact that, in no time, the Santoña carnival drew broadcasters to the town, like "Radio Santander Cadena SER," "Antena 3 Radio," and "Radio Nacional" as well as "Televisión Española" cameras and several reporters from national magazines.

The great work of the Pro-Carnival Commission, peñas, and the town in general was evidenced, as they ensured Santoña shone brilliantly in another carnival, securing its place as the best carnival in all of Cantabria.