Result of your search for "tradition"

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  Sant Medir Festival

  Every March, the children of Barcelona enjoy one of the "sweetest" festivals of the city. The streets and squares of the charming district of Gràcia become a festival of sweets, bands and horse carriages. This is the Sant Medir Festival and according to tradition originates from the Saint who lived in the year 303 in Barcelona under the Roman rule of Diocletian, who intensely persecuted Christians. According to legend, Sant Medir's beans grew immediately after they were planted and for this he was taken prisoner. A hermitage was built where the Saint lived to mark the starting point of the pilgrimage. In 1830, a baker from the district of Gràcia made a pilgrimage to the hermitage on his Saint's Day to thank the Saint for a honoured promise. Today, this pilgrimage has become a popular tradition with the participation of "colles" from the districts of Gràcia, Sarrià and Sants. Each year,

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  Santa Eulàlia Festival

  The Santa Eulàlia Festival, the winter festival of Barcelona, is for all the family. During these magical days, tribute is paid to the brave Laia, the girl who rebelled to defend her aims. For the city of Barcelona, this girl was a symbol of solidarity, in defence of justice and commitment to young people. Santa Eulàlia and la Mare de Déu de la Mercè are co-patron saints of Barcelona. To celebrate this festival, different activities are organized for all the family. You can't miss the giants, the processions or the firework street run, human towers, sardanas dancing and musical bands throughout different routes of the city, apart from other activities for both young and old.
  On 12th February, the Santa Eulàlia feast day, several events are held, such as raising the Penó de Santa Eulàlia (reproduction of an old banner of the city) on the balcony of City Hall, sardanas dancing, giants...
  

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  Carnival

  Carnival, a festivity based on the lunar calendar and eagerly anticipated by Catalans, always begins on a Thursday (Fat Thursday) and ends on the following Wednesday (Ash Wednesday). Carnival is synonymous with partying, bustling crowds, costumes, parades and so on. In short, it is a week given over to hedonism and having a good time being the forerunner to the period of fasting and deprivation represented by the Christian tradition of Lent.
  
  These days, beyond the excesses, Carnival is a light-hearted popular festival based around the crazy figure named El Rei Carnestoltes (The Carnival King). While carnival is celebrated in almost every town and village throughout Catalonia, the places that historically stand out for their particular traditions are Barcelona, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Torelló. However, wherever you may be during the festivities, you will be able to try some of the delicious traditional Carnival dishes: the coca de llardons (flatbread with pancetta) or botifarra d'ou (pork sausage containing egg).
  
  

  Main Events:

  February 12th: Fat Thursday - Parade and Arribo.
  February 14th and 15th: Carnival parades in the neighborhoods.
  Fenruary 18th: Ash Wednesday - Burial of the Sardine.
  
  

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  Sant Jordi 2026

  This is one of the most keenly anticipated and widely celebrated Catalan public holidays. According to the traditional tale, Sant Jordi (Saint George) killed the dragon that used to live in Montblanc where it terrorized the local population, thus saving the king's daughter from certain death. Legend has it that a beautiful rose bush sprang up in the spot where the dragon's blood was spilled. From the 18th century onward, the Sant Jordi festival became widely identified as a Catalan 'fiesta' which these days arouses great popular, civic and cultural passion. On Sant Jordi's Day, lovers exchange a rose and a book and every town and city in Catalonia is filled with stalls set up to sell both.
  
  

  
  

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  Sitges Carnival

  The Sitges Carnival is one of the most iconic and spectacular celebrations in the Catalan festive calendar. Known for its irreverent, inclusive and highly creative spirit, the carnival transforms the town into a vast open-air stage, filled with large parades, carnival troupes, music, costumes and an atmosphere of absolute freedom. For several days, Sitges pulses to the rhythm of satire, excess and collective expression, blending tradition with a contemporary outlook. Popular events, night-time parades, parties and traditional rituals come together with a strong participation from both local and international audiences. With a unique identity and a bold, transgressive festive spirit, the Sitges Carnival is an invitation to experience popular culture through joy, diversity and playfulness.

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  Language

  There are two official languages in Catalonia: Catalan and Spanish, and there are more and more people in the region who understand and speak English. You’re sure to get by.

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  Canaletes Fountain

  One of the symbols of Barcelona, a meeting place for locals and visitors alike where people also flock to celebrate the victories of the Catalan team, Futbol Club Barcelona, Barça. The Canaletes Fountain has become one of Barcelona's most visited landmarks.

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  The Fossar de les Moreres

  The Fossar de les Moreres is a place of great symbolic significance where the weight of history takes centre stage. Here, right in the centre of the Born neighbourhood, was the site of the graveyard for the fallen during the 1714 Siege of Barcelona. A monument stands on the site as a reminder. The place sometimes goes unnoticed by visitors. For the Catalans, the fossar is more than a memory. It is a homage.

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  Amanida Catalana

  As a large metropolis, Barcelona receives the very best of the products that are cultivated, fished, reared, hunted or collected in Catalonia.

• Tarragona

  Tarragona city, the capital of the Costa Daurada, is a city that grew out of the sea. 92 km south of Barcelona, showcases a roman legacy which has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco