Throughout the years, Catalonia has preserved customs and traditions deeply rooted in the lives of its citizens. The most outstanding ones are:
- Sardanes: Traditional Catalan dance. It is performed in circles where the participants hold hands with anybody who would like to participate. The music is played by a cobla, a small orchestra specialized in this kind of dance.
- Castellers: The castellers are groups of people that build castells, that is to say, human towers of up to 10 “floors” (each person standing on top of another person’s shoulders). These human towers have their origins in the region around Tarragona, but nowadays they are practiced all over the Catalan territory, above all during the celebration of the Festa Major (the main local festivals in every village and town)
- Les Festes de la Mercè (The Mercè festival): This is Barcelona’s Festa Major and it takes place in the week of 24th September, Our Lady of Merce’s day, who is the city’s patron saint. Many activities take place during this festival, such as the correfoc (fire performances) as well as other pyromusical shows, concerts, and performances for children and adults.
- Sant Jordi: On 23rd April all the streets of Catalonia are filled with stalls displaying roses and books, as it is a tradition to offer these items as presents on this very day. A stroll along Barcelona’s Rambla is a must on this date. In addition, Catalans celebrate it as a sort of Saint Valentine’s day.
- La Revetlla de Sant Joan (Saint John’s open-air dance): On the eve of 23rd June the celebration of summer solstice takes place: big bonfires are set, firecrackers go off, and fireworks light up the sky. On this date, the traditional Coca de Sant Joan (Saint John’s tart) is eaten.
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