Lent brings us fasting and penitence but when you taste a big piece of Mona, it means that privations have already finished. The Mona is the main Eastern cake and its origin might be Arabian (mouna) or Greek (“muniquíes”). It is claimed as original by several regions besides Catalonia and we are sure it is delicious everywhere but today, we’ll talk about the Eastern Mona in Barcelona.
The elders use to talk about some traditions around the Mona which are almost lost. For instance, the chocolate eggs used to be actual cooked and decorated eggs decorating a simple bread. They tell that the Mona was not only eaten in Eastern but for several afternoons friends and family gathered, mostly in patios or gardens because the temperatures were already mild. A classic big tea party.
Acording to the Catalan Traditions by Joan Amades, the grandparents used to offer to their grandchildren this famous cake, but the godparents used to offer them to their godsons, this way, it was not strange to find several cakes in the same home. A big sweet pig-out causing some belly pain but the happiness of playing with the little figures animal shaped helped a lot to get over it.
The first Monas were homemade and maybe there were taken to cook to a bakery nearby. In Catalonia, the Mona as we know it now started during the 19th century. There are documents about it and the first bakery making a chocolate figure for this cake was the Casa Massana, in Ferran Street in Barcelona.
The last century the Mona has evolved a lot. Today, they have less bread and a lot more of chocolate, under the shape of sophisticated figures. Football players or animation characters are the kings of the windows in most of the pastry shops in Barcelona. 
These days, Barcelona smells chocolate thanks to the Monas. Well-known pastry chefs like Oriol Balagué or Escribà make and show spectacular sculptures becoming an attraction among the locals and foreigners.
This year, even with the recession, over half million Monas are going to be sold just in the city of Barcelona. Actually, Barcelona rhymes with Mona. And in Barcelonina we’ll “devour” this tradition as well. You are all invited and Bon Appétit!!