Thursday, September 8, 2011

A Barcelona Festival for Every Season

A Barcelona Festival for Every Season

Although Barcelona is always pulsing with energy, the city really comes to life during their beloved festivals. If you are thinking about visiting Barcelona, the festivals showcase Barcelona culture at its finest. Luckily, there are numerous festivals all throughout the year.

Autumn - Festes de la Mercè is considered one of the largest festivals in Barcelona. The week-long festival begins on September 24th and honors Our Lady of Mercy, the patron saint of the city. Throughout the week, there are hundreds of events to choose from, including sporting events, musical performances, and firework displays. Castells, the most famous of the events, is a traditional human tower building competition in which several teams of castellers compete against each other to build the highest human tower. Another one of the main attractions during the Festes de la Mercè is the "Parade of the Giants", an extravagant parade of giant, wooden figures. Cava, a sparkling wine typically produced in the Penedès region of Catalonia, is consumed throughout the festival.


Winter - La Cavalcada dels Reis Mags is Barcelona's big, family-friendly Christmas festival that takes place on January 5th and extends to January 6th, which is a public holiday in Barcelona. The highlight of the festival is the parade of the Three Kings, which takes place in the afternoon of January 5th. To start the parade, the Three Kings arrive at the port at the end of La Rambla on the Santa Eulà lia boat and then proceed throughout the city. The parade includes dancers, clowns, acrobats, magicians, musicians, and plenty of sweets for the crowd. The exact route and time of the parade is published in the newspapers.

Spring - La Diada de Sant Jordi, also known as "The Day of Lovers", takes place in Barcelona on April 23rd and celebrates Sant Jordi, the romantic and chivalrous patron saint of Catalonia. On La Diada de Sant Jordi, it is customary for men to give women roses and for women to give men a book. Stroll down La Rambla to see buildings decorated with Catalan flags, bakeries selling "Sant Jordi cakes", and hundreds of makeshift rose and book stands.


Summer - Verbena de Sant Joan takes place on the night of June 23rd, the shortest night of the year, and extends until June 24th, which is longest day of the year and also a public holiday. The city, especially the beach, is ablaze with bonfires, firecrackers, and fireworks. Parties last all night and people enjoy Cava and "coca", a traditional type of cake.

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