It's been a few days, the
adrenaline ebbed away we already dwelled upon the appropiate reflections. Carnival, for its
characteristics and dimensions, requires to be approched with some perspective
of time and space, and the detachment recommended in all discussions and
reflections about a festivity that awakens passions and feelings.
We are dealing here with a
passionate and well rooted celebration with a high popular involvement, three features
that distinguish our Carnival - any change or new development provokes
byzantine discussions in which people take parties in favour and against. If not, at least at the
beginning, after
a while, time puts things in place, and some positionings and
points of view are relativized, especially when you are able to analyze them
with the necessary perspective and vision.
The above happened this
year in our Carnival. Probably there was too much previous tension, and surely there
was a certain badly driven adrenaline during the festivity and
during the next day, but
once a few days have passed, tempers returned to calmed waters. All apocalyptic
visions with the only purpose of opposing any regulation, because of
the simple fact that the City Council adopted them, adopt a more tempered
perspective and admit the good results of certain measures.If we talk
softly with a mutual will of cooperation, we can reach a common ground and
advance in good direction.
The case of children's
parade on Sunday is one of the best examples that illustrates how there are
changes that can be very positive. With the new schedule, the kids had their
deserved prominence without having to stick to a rigurous time planning, floats
showed more personality and, indirectly, restaurants and trade took advantage.
A very wise decision.
Is that anybody questions
now that the Debauchery and Extermination parades should not leave at 19.30, as
we implemented three years ago? At first, few gave their
support. The following year,
practically nobody had any doubts and now it's considered as an
age-old tradition.
Good decisions take root
easily and permeate into the dimension of the festivity in an spontaneous
manner.Those decisions that generate questioning, for
example, moving cameras from Cap de la Vila to the Promenade this year, require
an in-depth analysis and redirect them in one direction or
another. Also, one day no one will
dare consider that security is an important aspect when making important
decisions on parades. Security and the Carnival must know how to coexist
together without trampling each other.
Carnival 2014 brings me
many good experiences that were transferred to the gallery of good memories.
The list is long, but I would like to mention a few. The bed race, which knew
how to exploit the "fardo" or
people that act in paralel; the activities organized by the group “A Tope” with elements also in
parallel to the Carnival, the extraordinary impact that it had in the media and
social networks (a very important promotion for Sitges), the frantic and never well recognized
work of the Cleaning Brigade and Security, the drive and good work of our
Department of Traditions and Celebrations and our Carnival Committee, and the
joy, colour
and magic that distinguished our parades and all those residents that carry our
Carnival in their DNA.To all of you, many thanks.
