Catalan culture and traditions

One of the biggest advantages of living outside your country is the opportunity to get to know other cultures and traditions, in this case, if you are currently or in the future you will be our resident in Xior Collblanc, we are going to teach you a little more about catalan culture and its traditions, which characterize Barcelona so much.

The catalan culture has a unique and universal identity, a national and cosmopolitan culture at the same time, it remains thanks to its great amount of traditions and we are going to show you some of them:

1. Saint George:

It is the patron saint of Catalonia, it is celebrated on April 23rd and it is one of the most special days in Barcelona and all of Catalonia, which also coincides with the Book Day. It has consolidated itself as a traditional and popular festival that transmits the values ​​of love and culture, all the streets of Catalonia are filled with books and roses, and the tradition is giving roses as a symbol of love and giving books as a symbol of culture. Especially it is celebrated on La Rambla de Barcelona, ​​as a resident of Xior Collblanc, you will be able to enjoy a walk through its bookstores.

This day is also represented as the day of the lovers, apart from celebrating St. Valentine’s Day.

2. Saint John’s Eve:

The night of Sant Joan, is one of the most popular nocturnal fiestas in Catalonia, one of the “magic” nights where the summer solstice is celebrated. It is a night full of bonfires and open-air dance, which is celebrated with popular scenes, shows, orchestras, and musical groups. Typically, if you eat the coca of Sant Joan on this day, it is a sweet pastry with a dough similar to a brioche that can be made with candied fruit, cream, or pine nuts.

3. National Day:

The 11th of September is the National Day of Catalonia, it is celebrated as a memorial of the days of the 11th of September 1714, to celebrate the defense of rights and freedoms, and it is an act to reaffirm the character of Catalonia, it is an institutional and demanding journey. Demonstrations are organized throughout the day and during this day you can also attend concerts.

4. Castanyada:

Castanyada is one of the most popular festivals in Catalan culture, celebrated on October 31st and November 1st, which coincides with Halloween or All Saints Day, with friends and family, eating toasted chestnuts in the fire, cooked boniatos and panellets (typical sweet made with a mass of sugar, egg yolk, sweet potato or potato and ground raw almonds), all accompanied by sweet muscatel wine. During some days, the streets are filled with roasted chestnut stands.

5. Major Parties:

Music, parties and popular culture nights, generally open air, which are used to share moments with both the family and friends. The best time for these parties is mainly in summer, you will be able to enjoy many activities that they offer such as: concerts and artificial fires, and other traditional activities such as castells, sardanas and correfocs. Don’t you know these three traditional activities in Catalan culture? The castells are one of the main activities in this type of popular parties, they are human constructions in the form of towers, in which each casteller stands on top of the casteller’s shoulders that are located below, then forming a tower with one height between four and ten floors. The sardana is an ensemble of music and traditional Catalan dance, the dancers form a circle, and the correfoc is a party celebrated at night where they interact with the fire, these are disguised people responsible for taking all the pyrotechnic elements, in this show of artificial fires, you have the responsibility to go well protected.

One of the most popular parties in Barcelona is from the 15th of August to the 21st, from the 22nd to the 25th of September or to Sant John’s Eve on the 23rd of June, you can enjoy all these well-known parties residing at the Xior Collblanc residence.

6. Christmas in Catalonia: Tió de Nadal and Pessebre

During the months of December and January it´s Christmas, and at our Xior Collblanc residence too! One of the most special festivities, and each country has its own traditions. In Catalonia, on the 24th of December, there is a very important Christmas tradition, especially for the children, because Tió arrives at the houses, it is a trunk where you paint a face, put on some front paws, and cover yourself with a blanket so that it does not get cold, the kids the children feed it with fruit and sweets from the beginning of December to the night of the 24th. With the last blow, el tió “gives” the gifts for the whole family. He is a character very dear to the children, as can be Santa Claus.

The pessebre is a representation of the birth of Jesus, which is reproduced with plastic figures and one of the characteristic elements in Catalonia is the Caganer, a figure of a person who is hidden and fulfills his needs in the free air, dressed in a plain shirt and red barretina (typical Catalan hat).

If you don’t know anything about Catalonia and its traditions, live the student experience in our Xior Collblanc residence and you will live all these experiences!