Carnival (Across the Province)

Description

One of the most iconic figures of carnival across the province is the Mascarote of Torreperogil. This costume, made from rags, scraps of cloth and old clothing, symbolises the festive, mocking spirit of the celebration. Even under the Franco dictatorship, when the festival was officially banned, locals kept the tradition alive, establishing Carnival as a cultural pillar of the town. In Albanchez de Mágina, for example, the custom of throwing "bordos" at young women lives on. Bordos are the fruit of the bulrush plant. They are gathered during the summer and stored in the attics of houses, among straw, to dry out. On Carnival Sunday, they are brought out to be thrown at the girls. When peeled, they release a whitish, sticky fluff that clings to hair and clothing. It is said that the more fond a suitor is of a girl, the more bordos he must throw at her face, so that on that day the streets of the town end up carpeted with the irritating fluff, in this curious "display" of love. In La Carolina, on the other hand, the typical figures are the  “mascarones”, who take over the streets and hold pride of place in the town's celebrations.