Plans to have fun this Antroxu in Asturias
The Antroxu in Asturias is a festival full of colour, joy, music, gastronomy and traditions. It is an opportunity to get together, celebrate diversity and enjoy a few fun-filled days before the arrival of Lent.
It is a time for partying in the streets, and fun for all ages and preferences. In reality, it is much more than a regular party, becoming a ritual where the imagination is exercised in a permanent and fun way.
Carnival in Asturias is an incessant activity. At any time and in any place, there is a parade, a show, a lunch, a snack, a dinner, a concert or whatever you can think of. Culture and entertainment in an unrepeatable combination: ancestral traditions, music, gastronomy, folklore, all in settings full of history and beauty.
Whether in the villages and towns, or in the villages and cities, this celebration manifests itself in a thousand ways, each one more pleasant and surprising than the last.
The Antroxu in the cities of Asturias: animation at every corner
The cities of Asturias - Oviedo/Uviéu, Gijón/Xixón and Avilés - are filled with light, sound, hustle and bustle and imagination. Each one of them has its own anthroxera personality, and all of them offer you a full programme of leisure activities for these dates.
What's more, their historic quarters are transformed into a large open-air leisure area, ideal for a party brimming with creativity.
In Avilés, the Antroxu is celebrated in style and for many days - specifically from 26 February to 5 March - and has been declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Asturias. The descent of Galiana, held in one of the most emblematic and oldest streets of the old quarter, is mythical and takes place on the night of Saturday 1 March. It is the usual tumultuous descent down an overflowing river of foam and water through this emblematic street of the Villa del Adelantado and some others, with dozens of contraptions in the form of boats and their costumed crew members.
Also of note are the antroxero Sunday, the Monday of murgas and fanfare, the Tuesday of the great parade and Wednesday with the burial of the sardine, which puts the finishing touch to this festival.
In Gijón/Xixón, the Antroxu has also been declared of Tourist Interest in Asturias. Animation, of course, is guaranteed during all the days of the Carnival - from 17 February to 5 March -, and its Parade on Carnival Monday and the traditional Burial of the Sardine on Tuesday are well known .
In fact, Gijón/Xixón is a city that transforms itself on these dates, to such an extent that it dresses up some of its most famous statues - such as the statue of D. Pelayo - in the Plaza del Marqués, in the area surrounding the marina. It is also worth mentioning the charangas competition, the float competition and the children's parade of the Antroxu.
Oviedo/Uviéu also fills its Old Town with Carnival, as well as other areas of the city. Of the three urban carnivals, Oviedo's is the most delayed, as it begins on 4 March, dedicated to the children's carnival, and reaches its climax on 7, 8 and 9 March with the adult carnival.
Antroxu in Oviedo
And of course, in the cities you can enjoy the typical gastronomy of these dates, with dishes such as pote, picadillo, or tripe, and desserts such as frixuelos, picatostes, or casadielles, among other delicacies.
A big Carnival party all over Asturias
The Antroxu in Asturias is one of the most deeply rooted traditions. For this reason, all over Asturias there are some of the most authentic and original celebrations you can find.
The Cuencas mineras (Asturias' mining regions) get involved in this festival, both in the kitchen and in the streets, and places such as Langreo, Laviana, Lena and Mieres celebrate carnival in this way.
In western Asturias, Tapia - with its children's carnival -, Tineo, Luarca/Ḷḷuarca and Vegadeo, among others, will also be in their best at this time of year, with a wide and varied programme of carnival entertainment.
And of course, the centre of Asturias is a great anthrox area: Corvera de Asturias, Grado, Llanera, Pravia, Siero and Villaviciosa, among other councils, add incredible touches of imagination and atmosphere to the carnival.
Further east, Llastres, in Colunga, also celebrates the antroxu in style, without forgetting other places such as Ribadesella/Ribeseya, Llanes, Arriondas/Les Arriondes, or Cangas de Onís.
In addition, as an introduction to the Antroxu, the Jornadas Gastronómicas de la Matanza (Gastronomic Slaughter Days) have also been held in Amieva and Alto Sella during the month of February. Those who come to this area can enjoy a menu prepared by local caterers based on products from the slaughter of the pig: liver soup, cabbage stew, boroña, pig's trotters, tripe, boronzu, tongue, minced pork and pork loin. This event has also been declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in the Principality of Asturias.
Typical Carnival dishes in Asturias
Asturian carnival is characterised by healthy transgression and unlimited animation. And this liveliness and atmosphere are clearly reflected in the gastronomy of these dates. Tradition tells us that a copious and tasty Carnival meal has been closely linked to these festivities since their origin.
Pote de Antroxu
In Asturias, the star dish at this time of year is the classic Asturian stew, which, to become an authentic Antroxu stew, incorporates an extra portion of compango, and so in addition to the chorizo, black pudding, pork shoulder and bacon, other pork products from the slaughter of the pig are added, such as ear, snout or ribs. In Gijón, and some other places, after the pote, they still serve picadillo or lomo en adobo (marinated pork loin) as a second course.
This typical menu is rounded off with a tasting of desserts typical of carnival time, such as frixuelos (sweet pancakes), picatostes (French toast) and casadielles.
In the Asturian carnival, gastronomy is one of the mainstays of the celebration, making it one of the most outstanding gastronomic carnivals in Spain.
For all these reasons, in some places such as Oviedo/Uviéu, the Asturias Catering and Tourism Association is promoting theAntroxu Gastronomic Days, which will take place in the Asturian capital on 4, 7, 8 and 9 March. Likewise, in other areas of Asturias and in different restaurants, on their own initiative, you will be able to taste the typical dishes and recipes of this time of the year.
The festival of Les Comadres, the ancestral prelude to Antroxu
The best prelude to carnival in Asturias is the festival of Les comadres, another of those milestones that have their roots in ancestral identity. In fact, the origin of this festival is believed to date back to Roman patriarchal society, this celebration being the only time of the year when women had the same privileges as men.
Festival of Les Comadres
The most deeply-rooted tradition of Comadres is in La Pola Siero, where the table is full of buns and cider. Some places such as Gijón, where women used to meet and have a picnic in their homes, have also revived this festival with great force since the 1980s, and the city's restaurants and cider bars are filled with groups of women to get together and celebrate this ritual. There may also be Comadres gatherings in other parts of Asturias.
Comadres Thursday is always the one before Antroxu Tuesday.
Check out all the information about the Antroxu in Asturias in our Agenda of Asturias!