The 11th September, the Diada de Catalunya, is a national holiday throughout Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Each year, the Ermitage de la Saint Ferréol bursts with life with the annual Festa Major. Tradition, religion, food and drink… it’s a firm favourite with the locals.
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.
Music for the sardane is played by a cobla, a wind band with double bass consisting of 12 instruments played by 11 musicians. Four of these instruments (tenora, tible, flabiol and tamborí) are typical Catalan instruments along with the more traditional trumpet, trombone, fiscorn and double bass. The makeup of a cobla never varies.
The difference between ‘fanfares’ and ‘bandas’.
The first midsummer fire on Canigou in modern times was lit on 23 June 1955 by Francois Poujade and fellow USAP rugby fanatics – both to celebrate his birthday and Perpignan’s victory over FC Lourdes in the Yves du Manoir Challenge cup.
No event in the Catalan calendar is more important than Els Focs de la Sant Jean or The Fires of St John, our mid-summer rites held on the region’s sacred mountain, Canigou (2,784 metres), and in towns and villages right across Catalonia.
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.
Taking place on or around 23rd April each year, the festival of Sant Jordi celebrates the Patron saint of Catalonia, French equivalent of St George.
The Easter Omelette, or ‘Omelette Pascale is more than just a recipe in Catalonia – it’s a whole tradition!
