CATALAN CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVITIES

INTRODUCTION

Hello, we are Toni and Oleguer and we are going to tell you about the holidays and festivals in Catalonia and the festivities which represents our city, Girona . First we will tell you how we celebrate the New Year here, then we will explain the christian tradition of the three kings and other festivals.

New Year’s Eve

The New Year's Eve is the last day of the year. This day is usually celebrated with a big party that usually includes fireworks and gatherings of friends.  According to the Catalan tradition, this day is called The day of  the noses Man, because this day which has as many noses as days left in the year. To be visible only on the last day of the year, the mythological character is, like all humans, he has got one nose, and therefore could be anyone. Explained to the children so that they imagine a bizarre figure with 365 noses on his face, without thinking that on December 31st the year has only got one day left.

The Three Kings

In Catalan folk tradition, the Three Kings, along with the “Tió” or Yule log, the mysterious and magical characters, as well as first imagined and tangible bearing gifts to children at this time. Kings arrive on January 6th, when it is believed that they arrived in Bethlehem and honored to deliver the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the new god, the infant Jesus. Boys and girls eagerly await the Three Kings, singing songs, and lighting fires, burning herbs, jars and cans dragging and making all kinds of noises to attract attention of Their Majesties and do not forget to go through your house and leave gifts they have asked the emissary sent “patge”. The feast of the Kings is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year for the children and that Catalan dose of illusion, magic, emotion and nerves work focuses night.

  

Night of Sant Joan

The Eve of St. John, also popularly known as the Night of Fire or Night of the Witches is a celebration that takes place all over the Catalan Countries and beyond, during the night between 23 and 24th June , one of the shortest of the year due to the proximity of the summer solstice .

It is not clear the origin of this celebration. There is one who sees pagan origin prior to Christianity. A kind of “reviviscència” the holidays for summer solstice . However, there are those who will see a rise in mocking the fact that the night is more distant from the Christmas and therefore should be loved and cursed by the devil.

Sant Jordi

The Day of St Jordi commemorates the death of the saint , on April 23th of the year 303 . It is traditionally a day on which Catalonia is love’s day, being the traditional custom (from the fifteenth century) gave a rose red "like blood "to the beloved. In the early twentieth century, the custom became popular and by the end of the first third of this century adds the custom of giving the boy a book on the occasion of World Book Day.

In Catalonia

On April 23, the Catalans take to the streets to celebrate the feast of St. Jordi, patron saint of Catalonia, the Day of Books and Roses Fair. Roses, books and flags occupy streets and squares around the country.

Saint Narcis

Every province has its patron saint, and it is an official holiday on the saint's name day, and sometimes it coincides with the festa major, a big festival which lasts for a week with a lot of celebration: concerts, communal meals, children workshops, processions, theatrical functions, markets, fairs, religious ceremonies etc. For exemple the patron of our city is Saint Narcissus. Behind Saint Narcissus of Girona lies in popular legend Which Shows That God truly is on Girona's side, because thanks to the flies that came out of the tomb of Saint Narcissus, and the city of Girona was saved by the French army.

National Day of Catalonia

On the 11^TH of September, Catalonia commemorates the 1714 Siege of Barcelona, the defeat of the Catalan troops fighting during the War of the Spanish Succession. Throughout the day, there are independentist demonstrations and cultural events in most of Catalan villages and many citizens wave senyeres and estelades

Toni and Oleguer