The La Mercè Festival
The La Mercè Festival is definitely the biggest annual event in Barcelona's calendar. The fiesta (celebrations) lasts about a week and falls aound the weekend of 24 September, (the actual 24th being a bank holiday....but only if you live in the city of Barcelona!). The festival is a celebration for the people of Barcelona and it´s visitors, held in honour of Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Patron Saint of Barcelona. There are over 500 activities, including parades, gegants (giants), concerts, free music, cava fairs, the run of fire (correfoc) and nightly beach firework displays. The activities are part of the Festival of Music (BAM), Festival of Tradition, Festival of Fire and the Festival in the Sky.
At all Spanish & Catalan festivals you will see "gigantes y cabezudos" (Spanish) meaning "giants and big heads" & "gegants i capgrossos" (Catalan). Giants are hollow figures made out of papier-maché and are 3-4m tall. They are heavy and so need to be carried through the streets by big strong men. The "capgrossos" are figures with huge heads. The person (often a child) who wears this "capgrosso" can see by looking out through the mouth opening. Gegants and capgrossos are seen at Spanish & Catalan festivals in the opening parade around the town or village-"cercavila"
Find out more about some of these annual activities & see photos by clicking on the following links: