This is Spain after all and that means anything goes, whether it is dressing up as giant sex toy, imitating one of the political elite or even the royal family, or making a mockery of the Church.

You’ll even find some who “black-up” as part of the celebrations, an act that astounds visitors from the United States but is fairly common practice (Until fairly recently King Balthasar was usually represented by a local politician in ‘blackface’ during the Three Kings parades).

While different places across Spain have their own particular way of celebrating Carnival, dressing up in costumes, often with friendship groups taking on the same theme, before going out to celebrate is all part of the fun.

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Here are this year’s best sellers:

According to reports in various Spanish newspapers, this year’s number one bestselling costume is the Satisfyer,  a giant pink all over body suit representing the popular clitoral stimulator. So if you want to go out and have fun looking like a giant sex toy, this is the outfit for you!

Number two on the list is the rather less sexy and far more sinister Coronavirus outfit.

The outfit comprises a toxic looking vibrant green colour skintight bodysuit with an image of the magnified virus microbe emblazoned on the chest, this snazzy costume comes with a crown (corona) of course.

Expect variations on the coronavirus theme, such as all over Hasmat suits or for the lazy lastminuters simply a protective face mask.

Next up is an outfit inspired by Spain’s hit Netflix series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist in English) which involves donning a red boiler suit, mask with Daliesque moustache and a replica assault weapon.

The series, about a long-prepared, multiple-day assault on the Royal Mint of Spain, is Netflix's most watched non-English language show. 

If you want to go for something more political, the exiled leader of the Catalan independence movement has proved a hugely popular costume choice at both Halloween and Carnival ever since. 

Props include, full head of glossy dark hair, combed forward. Glasses,black suit with a yellow ribbon on the label (in support of Catalan political prisoners) and waving an Estelada flag. You could also get away with drinking Belgian beer all evening, since Puigdemont is in exile in Belgium avoiding charges of sedition and rebellion in Spain. 

Let’s not forget that Carnival is a pre-Lent blow out to burn up excesses before the imposed austerity of the 40 days running up to Easter, so as a religious festival some feel the Church should be represented.

Dressing up as clergy remains a popular choice, although the clergy themselves sometimes choose more racy outfits!

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Dressing up as a member of the Catholic Clergy is always a great fallback for Carnival. File photo: José Luis Roca/AFP