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Festes de la Mercè
Barcelona’s main festival is a riotous week-long celebration in honour of La Mercè . The night sky lights up with fireworks, outdoor concerts are held, and there’s barely a bottle of cava left in the city by the festival’s end. Processions and parades feature gegants (giant wooden figures operated by people).
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Week of 23 Sep
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Festa de la Patum
The village of Berga (90 km/ 60 miles north of Barcelona) hosts one of Catalonia’s liveliest festivals. The event gets its name from the folks who used to chant patum
(the sound of a drum). Streets spill over with merrymakers as fireworks
crackle and dwarfs, devils and dragons dance atop parade floats.-
Corpus Christi (May)
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Festa del Aquelarre
The small town of Cervera (100 km/62 miles west of Barcelona)
erupts with parties, parades and concerts for this festival. The
epicentre is C/de les Bruixes, a medieval alley that cuts through the
old town.-
Last weekend Aug
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Castells
Castells is one of Catalonia’s most spectacular folk traditions. Trained castellers
stand on each other’s shoulders to create a human castle – the highest
tower takes the prize. The crowning moment is when a child scales the
human mass to make the sign of the cross. Castells are often performed in Plaça Sant Jaume.-
Jun
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Sardanes
“The magnificent, moving ring” is how Catalan poet Joan Maragall described the sardana, Catalonia’s regional dance. Subdued yet intricate, it is performed to the tunes of the cobla, a traditional brass and woodwind band. Sardanes can be seen in Plaça de la Seu and Plaça Sant Jaume year round .
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Catalan Christmas & Cavalcada del Reis
The Nadal
(Christmas) season begins on 1 December with the arrival of the festive
artisan fairs. On 5 January is the Cavalcada dels Reis, the spectacular
Three Kings Parade. In Barcelona, the kings arrive by sea and are
welcomed by city officials in front of transfixed children.