It is enough to walk around Barcelona to notice that the Carnival has already begun and that the streets are full of children in costumes and people with botifarras d’ou freshly bought at the market. And although the Carnival of Barcelona extends to all its neighborhoods, all over Catalonia also Carnivals of crazy people who celebrate as if there were no tomorrow.
Few as that of Vilanova i al Geltrú, is one of the most traditional and unique in Catalonia, which has one of the most unique events in the country: Meringue War is one of the most anticipated moments.
And yes, it is next to the Sitges Carnival, so if you want to spend the most carnival weekend of your life, we recommend you to go there, find some accommodation and spend the weekend in the Garraf as if you were in the Canary Islands carnival.
The Merengue War of Vilanova i la Geltrú
Like so many traditions, it arose spontaneously. One day in 1972 the Vilanova Blanch pastry shop planted a giant meringue in front of its store for Carnival so that the youngsters could smear their faces with the white candy as an improvised disguise.
Over the years,other bakeries were added to the custom and thus ended up being born a sort of “meringue route” where any Vilanovan walking through the center of the city underwent a risky sport that threatens to end up covered with white meringue.
When is the Merengada?
The Merengada is already a tradition awaited by all and this Dijous Gras, at 17:30h., begins the children’s version in front of the Pastisseria Blanch, with recommended ages from 5 to 12 years.
From there, everyone goes to dinner Xatonada, the typical dish of Carnival in Vilanova, to, at 24h. meet in the Plaça del ercat for the adult Merengada, which lasts until the meringue runs out and everyone’s face is covered with white candy.
It is recommended, by the way, to bring a raincoat, shoes that you have little love for and clothes ready to get dirty.
The 250-year-old Carnival that resisted Franco’s regime
The Carnival of Vilanova i la Geltrú has more than 250 years of history and is known for its resistance to Franco’s prohibition, as the city never stopped celebrating it. La Merengada is not the only event. They also celebrate, Les Comparses (Carnival Sunday), with thousands of people parading in pairs through the city with colorful scarves and repacking candy in a massive battle, the Arrivo, a satirical parade in which King Carnestoltes makes his entrance with criticism and humor about current affairs or l’enterrament de la Sardina (Ash Wednesday), which symbolizes the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent.
This festival also has its own dish, the Xatonada, a winter vegetable salad with romescu sauce that is very typical here and that is what is eaten for dinner, in fact, between the children’s merengada and the adult merengada, in multitudinous xatonadas that end with coca de llardons for dessert.
You may be interested in: Carnival 2025 in Barcelona: all the programming.