If you're planning a visit to this enchanting city, you can attend the following year-round events many festivals in Barcelona.
To make your trip as memorable as possible, I've put together a list of Barcelona parties you can attend.
Follow the guide!
Celebrations in Barcelona: article summary
Barcelona festivities: the procession of the three kings
The procession in honour of the Three Wise Men takes place every year on January 5. The "Magos", as they're known here, arrive at Port Vell (the old port) on their ship. After landing, they leave the ship and begin a long parade through the city. The parade passes enthusiastic crowds of young and old alike.
The next day, the children wake up to find their gifts delivered on January 6. These gifts, according to local tradition, are brought by the Three Wise Men instead of Santa Claus.
January 6, Epiphany Day, is a public holiday in Catalonia. On this day, you can enjoy an Epiphany cake. As in France, you find the santon that makes you king for the day. Conversely, if you come across a bean, you have to pay for the cake!
Holy Week
In Barcelona, Easter is celebrated over an entire week. The first important day of this holy week (Semana Santa) is Palm Sunday, when godparents offer woven or decorated palm leaves to their godchildren.
There are several Easter parades in and around Barcelona, usually with participants carrying statues of Jesus and Mary into their respective churches.
On Easter Monday, the godfather gives his godson a "Mona", a chocolate or fruit cake, often decorated with eggs, chicks and feathers.
Semana Santa begins on April 2 (Palm Sunday) and ends on April 10 (Easter Monday) in 2023.
Festivals in Barcelona: Sant Jordi
The perfect holiday for romantics. The day of the Saint-GeorgesBarcelona celebrate their version of Valentine's Day.
Mais laissez-moi rapidement vous conter l’histoire de Jordi. Venant des temps anciens, c’était un tueur de dragons qui, selon la légende, s’est débarrassé de
la menace qui pesait sur la ville. Le dragon exigeait un sacrifice vierge chaque année, et alors que le prochain sacrifice devait être la propre fille du roi, Saint George arriva à cheval en ville et il tua le dragon. Le sang du dragon s’est infiltré dans le sol et un rosier en a poussé. Depuis ce jour, all Barcelonians commemorate this victory!April 23 is also Book Day, which led the Catalans to combine the two and create their own kind of Valentine's Day. The city is littered with flower and book stalls, all centered around Las Ramblas. On this day, women usually receive a rose and men a book.
Corpus Christi
On Corpus Christi, the feast day 60 days after Christ's ascension from the dead, Barcelona plays host to several unusual scenes. In some of the Gothic districtYou'll see eggs dancing on water jets.
Eggs that, almost miraculously, never fall! The Catalans call this spectacle "L'ou com balla", which has been going on since 1637, and they take advantage of the occasion to place beautiful floral decorations on Barcelona's fountains. Back in the day, dancing eggs were real, but nowadays they're made of polystyrene or a similar material.
Celebrations in Barcelona: the Noche de Sant Juan
Once a year, the people of Barcelona celebrate the start of summer with a big party. It also coincides with Midsummer's Day. Barcelona's inhabitants combine the two, creating huge bonfires of old furniture and other things they no longer need all over the city, symbolically burning the old and the new. jumping into the water to purify yourself. Young and old play with fireworks.
The festivities end on the beach with a big party, music, drinks and a midnight swim in the sea.
The main celebrations take place in Barceloneta beach and extend as far as Bogatell. The fire is lit on the the Arc de Triomf.
La Diada Nacional
The Diada Nacional de Catalunya, also known as L'Once de Setembre (September 11th), is celebrated every year on September 11th, to commemorate the surrender of Barcelona on September 11th 1714 during the Spanish War.
As a result, Philip V. abolished the former autonomous government of Catalonia, which had reverted to the crown of Aragon, with the establishment ofa centralized state in Spain based on the French model.
September 11 is now Catalonia's national holiday, and is not intended to commemorate a victory, but rather this painful defeat and oppression of Catalonia and its culture. An important (central) memorial to this holiday is the Plaça de Fossar de les Moreres, right next to the church of Santa Maria del Marwhere many of the city's soldiers who died in 1714 are buried.
In recent years, La Diada has also been increasingly influenced by the independence movement. Many Catalans bring out their flags, decorate balconies, wear T-shirts emblazoned with their independence symbols and gather in different places to exchange ideas and demonstrate.
Festivals in Barcelona: the Mercè
Every village and town in Catalonia has its own Fiesta MajorThis is a village or town festival. This day is usually celebrated on or around the day of the town's saint. Barcelona is no exception.
A 7-day festival dedicated to the holy city of Mercè. The diversified program includes dance, music, acrobatics, the Castelleres (human towers), Gegants and many other festivities.
Each district also has its own Fiesta Major with its own saints! These include Gràcia districts (mid-August) and Sants (3ᵉ week of August), where locals beautifully decorate certain streets. Each year, the most beautiful street is chosen as the winner.
The festival takes place all over the city, but mainly in the historic center for la Mercè.
When you visit Barcelona, there's a good chance you'll find the city celebrating. On this occasion, I invite you to join the festivities and take advantage of the many things to do on site!
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