Catalan Traditions & Customs

La Sardana – The Catalan national dance

There are several variations of this dance including the sardana curt (short) and sardana llarg (long) but either way it's danced in circles to the an accompanying band called the cobla playing wind instruments and a double bass. Its origins are unclear and though some say it dates back to Greek times it became popular during the 16th century and in its present form during the Renaixença (the 19C. Catalan renaissance). There are currently approximately 130 coblas throughout Catalunya.

Castells Human (Human towers or castles)

This originates in Tarraona – there's even a brass statue of a Castells Human along the Rambla Nova - though you may see this at any town or city's festa major across Catalunya. As the name implies, it consists of a group of men dressed for the occasion in coloured shirts and white trousers making a human tower. They can reach nine stories high (of men not a building) and they finish off with a small boy perched on top called the anxaneta. It's especially popular in Tarragona, Vilafranca del Penedès and Valls.

Sant Jordi (St George)

There are many legends, often involving a dragons, attached to the patron saint of Catalunya but the most popular one here is that at Montblanc, in Conca de Barberà, there was a terrible dragon which viciously attacked men and beasts. Lots were drawn to decide who was to pacify it by becoming a sacrifice but the unlucky draw was made by the King's daughter. True to form however a knight in shining armour stepped forward who not only took the place of the King's daughter but slay the dragon to boot. Whether you believe in dragons or not there must have been something about the man as the legend is told in many countries, with a suitable change of location thrown in, and Saint Jordi has become the patron saint in England, Portugal and Greece to name a few.

In Catalunya the day is marked by the giving of a rose and a book and although the origins of this custom are unclear though it is known that from the 15th century the Fira dels Enamorats (the Lovers' Fair) was held on the same day and roses were given out to ladies attending a mass at the Sant Jordi Chapel in Barcelona. The book giving is a more recent event started in 1926 to commemorate the birth of the famous writer and poet Miguel de Cervantes but moved to April 23rd in 1930 to mark the day of his death.

Strangely enough this day also marks the birth or death of many other well known Spanish writers in addition to the death of William Shakespeare. Subsequently April 23rd has been declared World Book and Copyright day by UNESCO and many cities and towns throughout Catalunya mark it by filling the streets and squares with book fairs and flower stalls.