| On 3rd March is the popular festival of San Medir, with a procession around the streets of the barrio de Gràcia, throwing sweets has if in a sweet war. This same district has its local festival in August, one of the most popular and well known, as the people of the district work all year to decorate their streets on these dates, manual work mainly made with waste materials or cardboard, and they are a feast to one’s sight and are also accompanied by musical performances every evening and children’s shows in the afternoons.
On 23rd April, Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia; one of the most striking festivals, the streets fill with stands of roses and books, and it is the feast of lovers, where the girls give their loved ones books and the boys give roses.
In June they celebrate Corpus Cristi, with processions of giants and big-heads and the “l’ou com balla” (the egg that dances) in the fountain of the cathedral cloisters.
The 11th September is Catalonia’s national holiday, with different official and political acts, particularly in Barcelona as the capital. On 24th September it is the Fiestas de la Mercè, the patron saint of Barcelona, with parades, dances, concerts and a large number of activities for all ages and tastes. |
