Catalan traditions

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Ball de Bastons - Catalan Stick dance

Ball de Bastons - Catalan Stick dance Ball de Bastons - Stick dancing. The dance of the sticks called 'Ball de Bastons.' This is a Catalan folk dancefold  and the dancers are called Bastoners. The origins are not clear, but it probably can be traced back to battles fought with sword ...
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Bestiari Historic de Barcelona

Bestiari Historic de Barcelona Bestiari Historic de Barcelona. The 'Bestiari Historic de Barcelona' (bestiary of Barcelona) is a collection of stories or legends based on real and imaginary animal figures and an important part of Barcelona and Catalunya cultural tradition. Papier- ...
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Castells and Castellers - human tower builiding Popular

Castells and Castellers - human tower builiding Castellers - Castells - Human Tower building. Els Castellers de Barcelona. The Barcelona 'colla' (group) of 'castellers' (human-tower builders) celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2009. They were re-founded in 1969 making it the oldest colla (castel ...
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CCCC Coordinator Colles Castelleres

CCCC Coordinator Colles Castelleres CCCC. Coordinator of Colles Castelleres de Catalunya. Organization located in Valls, Catalunya. The CCCC was established in 1989 to promote and safeguard the treasured Catalon traditions of building human towers. The groups that build human towers ar ...
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Coblas - sardanes band

Coblas - sardanes band The 'cobla' is the name of the woodwind band that plays for the sardana dances. Sardanes is a traditional dance of Catalonia. So whereever you see Sardanes dancing, they will be accompanied by a cobla woodwind band. Article about origins of the cobla ...
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Correfoc - fireruns Popular

Correfoc - fireruns Correfoc means 'firerun' in Catalan. The correfoc is a very popular Catalan tradition always seen at neighbourhood fiestas. Basically it is people in devil costumes dancing holding sticks of firecrackers. Fire runs are organised by "colles de diables ...
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Falcons de Catalunya - human towers

Falcons de Catalunya - human towers Falcons de Catalunya - human towers. One of the human tower building traditions in Catalonia is called the Falcon discipline named after a Czech tradition called "Sökol" which means falcon. Falcon structures were popular in Catalunya at the beginning ...
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Gegants i capgrossos - giants and big heads Popular

Gegants i capgrossos - giants and big heads Gegants i capgrossos - giants and big heads. In Spanish and Catalan festivals you can often see 'gegants i capgrossos' (Catalan) or 'gigantes y cabezudos' (Spanish) which means 'giants and big heads.' Gegants and Capgrossos are papier-maché figures. ...
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Glossary of Catalan festival traditions

Glossary of Catalan festival traditions A blog called Wirdhem in Vilanova has put together a great list with Catalan names and English explanations of many of the traditions that you can see at many festa major celebrations and other tradition festival in Barcelona and Catalunya.Pictures C ...
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Grallers - pipers

Grallers - pipers Catalan traditions - grallers - piper. The Gralla is a piped woodwind instrument played in small groups by 'grallers' during processions and parades in Catalan traditional fiestas and events.Catalan traditions at Festa de Gracia
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La Senyera - Catalonia flag

La Senyera - Catalonia flag La Senyera - Catalonia flag. La Senyera is the name of the Catalan flag. It means  "signal flag" in the Catalan language. The design is four stripes on a golden background from the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon. You will see many Cata ...
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Sardanas dance Popular

Sardanas dance Las Sardanas dancing Barcelona. The Sardana dance is the traditional folk dance of Catalonia. The sardana is closed circle dance typical to the region of Catalonia. The sardana dance originated in the north eastern Empordà region of Catalonia and its ...
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Trabucaires - Catalan 'bandits'

Trabucaires - Catalan 'bandits' Trabucaires are groups of Catalan 'bandits' in traditional costumes carrying a blunderbuss gun which is called "un trabuc" in Catalan. Trabucaires take part in Catalan festivals and shoot their blunderbuss gun in the air in parades but using blanks. ...
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