Antroxu, the carnival in Asturias

Antroxu, the Asturias carnival on the map

Latitude: Length:
Open location in Google Maps

In these days leading up to the defeat of King Carnival and the forty-day reign of austere Lent, Asturians feel the urge to transform into new selves. Traditionally, this metamorphosis was accompanied by lavish, high-calorie dishes during the harshest part of winter. Today, the gastronomic opulence of Antroxu (Carnival) is also dictated by purely worldly matters stemming from tradition. During Carnival, meat is eaten, preferably pork, a meat that was once forbidden during the seven weeks of Easter that followed these secular celebrations.

How is Antroxu celebrated in Asturias?

Long ago, participants in Antroxu (Carnival) painted their faces black with burnt cork or soot . These were very inexpensive masquerades. Two holes were made in a piece of cardboard, cloth, or wood to serve as a mask, and it was customary to dress up as animals, using the hides of their own livestock. However, the most widespread costumes at that time were those of the ragged, the beggars, or the "antroxos," descended from the ancient "guirrias" and "zamarrones" who asked for a Christmas bonus at the end of the year . It was very common to exchange genders when choosing one's attire—men as women and women as men—a custom that was heavily criticized by the Church, which considered it a transgression of morality. The preferred musical instruments were tin cans, pans, cowbells, horns, whistles, and rattles. These haughty and irreverent rhythms can still be heard today in the music of the brass bands.

The Antroxu (Carnival) in Asturias was banned for a long time . It was revived with the arrival of democratic local councils in the 80s. Today, the carnival retains the essence of its original form, although the styles and costumes have been refined. The desire to invert the order of things that it brings with it still involves "irrational" acts, outrageous humor, and revelry. The irony, satire, and songs are especially biting towards public figures and their work.

Carnival Avilés, Gijón and Oviedo 2026

Carnival festivities are approaching… Read more

Antroxu in Avilés

Some towns in Asturias are at the cutting edge of dressing up. In the three cities with the largest population in the Principality, the "antroxeru" spirit of the entire autonomous community seems to have gathered. Avilés, Gijón and Oviedo live this festival with fervent vocation. In the XNUMXth century, in the city of Avilés two types of celebrations coexisted: the popular antroxu and the gallant carnival of the wealthy classes that brought out floats, decorated cars, costume balls, confetti battles and Nice-style streamers. or Venice. Carnival Monday was the day reserved for the popular classes to take over the town with their particular way of interpreting the Antroxu: grotesque costumes, egg battles and murgas.
At present, Avilés is the scene of the International and Fluvial Descent of Galiana Street. It consists of a tour of floats and gadgets of all kinds, decorated with certain naval motifs. The crew descend on the Saturday of Carnival the slope of this street Galiana. The way is filled with water and foam. From the wagons, water is thrown at the spectators and these, from the sidewalks and balconies, do the same against the participants.

Antroxu in Gijón

In Gijón, the festivities officially begin on the night of Comadres Thursday . This is when the name of the Sardine is revealed, the one that each year emerges from the Cantabrian Sea to bask in the adulation of the crowds. From that moment on, and for six long days and nights, Gijón's carnival boasts the most extensive program of events in all of Asturias : a competition for brass bands, a parade of floats, dozens of cultural and recreational activities for all ages, and a popular Burial of the Sardine that concludes everything and draws massive crowds from Gijón. In the Plaza Mayor, the Sardine is symbolically killed, followed by a respectful wake, then the funeral procession, the reading of the unfortunate sardine's will, and its burial until next year.

Antroxu in Oviedo

The Plaza de la Catedral, Calle de Trascorrales and other adjacent streets constitute the epicenter of the antroxu Oviedo. The festivities in old Oviedo always take place the weekend following those in Avilés and Gijón. The hospitality sector strongly joins the Carbayón carnival, offering a special menu for the occasion: the carnival pot. Many locals serve this typical menu that consists of a good broth accompanied by a stew of collard greens, beans, potatoes and pork. Then come the desserts, being able to choose the casadielles, the frixuelos or the rice pudding. It is a strong menu, suitable for days where you need calories to consume to keep up.

Gastronomic Antroxu

Like Antroxu itself, the accompanying cuisine is found throughout the Principality. In the western part of the region, a typical dessert is "rapón ," a flatbread made from cornmeal, water, salt, onion, and pieces of chorizo and bacon, wrapped in cabbage leaves and baked in the oven. In the east, the carnival is celebrated with "boronas preñadas ," a dense cornmeal dough filled with sausages and meats from the pig slaughter. The most common desserts in this area are buñuelos de viento (wind fritters) filled with cream , or rustidos , tasty pieces of bread soaked in milk and egg, fried, and sprinkled with sugar.