Once upon a time, rival bands of young people released their pent up energy by competing against each other in feats of strength and agility.
No guns, no knives.
Shake off the cold dark winter and welcome in spring with the bright, colourful, topsy turvy world of carnaval in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Not a rain dance but a rain procession in the streets of Perpignan this Sunday 10th March to bring on the rain
Traditional Calçotadas take place in March (occasionally late Feb too!).
Gégants are enormous painted figures, several metres tall, constructed on a wooden framework with heads made from paper maché and plaster of paris – a tradition which goes back to the Middle Ages, depicting religious figures in parades.
Carnival actually dates back to the ancient Greek spring festival in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine. It was a massive binge – a celebration of excess, and later the church, unable to suppress it, wisely adapted it instead to its own traditions.
The ‘grégoires’ tradition is a weird and fascinating read!
This old Catalan carnival custom parodies and ridicules marriage.
During the Retirada, Spanish Republicans fleeing the Franco regime poured over the border into the P-O. But it wasn’t just people, many important pieces of artwork joined the exodus.
They might not all be a pulsing whirl of excitement – some are only small gatherings scantily attended – but it’s a great way to support the local producers.