Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life In Cádiz the costumes worn are often related to recent news, such as the bird flu epidemic in 2006, during which many people were disguised as chickens. The feeling of this carnival is the sharp criticism, the funny play on words and the imagination in the costumes, more than the glamorous dressings. It is traditional to paint the face with lipstick as a humble substitute of a mask. La Linea de la Concepcion, Cadiz, Andalucia, Spain

Horsemen dressed as bandoleros. Bandoleros were runaway highwaymen (bandits) usually hiding in the sierra de Ronda in Andalucia. Guadiaro, Andalucia, Spain. 2011

Gypsy couple, Antonio and Priscilla, in there home, in the small village of Hornos. Andalucia, Spain.