Carnival is one of the most emblematic, lived and recreated immaterial cultural manifestations in Spain, and was declared in 2016. The wealth of characteristics and nuances of Carnival is immense.
The origins of this festival date back to ancestral times, having undergone numerous cultural hybridisations up to the present day, and presenting elements that also characterise other festivals, mainly from the winter period.
Although it has been banned on several occasions throughout history, its protagonists have managed to maintain the continuity of this cultural manifestation over time in many localities.
Carnival manifests itself both in values related to fun, catharsis, leisure and even religion, as well as in its capacity as an expression of identity for many groups.
There is an enormous range of ways of experiencing Carnival, from the most primitive rural expressions to the great urban manifestations that are intermingled in this festival through symbols of pagan origin, based on supposed historical references and religious elements. It is, therefore, a set of territorially dispersed assets where there is no single model of celebration, but rather a plural and diverse phenomenon, but which responds to a common experience that gives it unity and representativeness in Spain.
The Spanish Carnival has had a great influence abroad, mainly in Latin America.
The Representative Manifestations of Intangible Cultural Heritage are those heritage elements of high cultural value that have a great capacity for rooting and symbolic appropriation for a large part of the Spanish territory. The declaration of Representative Manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage is based on the recognition of this figure by the State as a measure of protection and safeguarding, implies its inscription in the General Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and will ensure that they maintain the values that justified their declaration and, to this end, will adopt appropriate measures adapted to the characteristics of each manifestation and its bearer communities.
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