Tarragona Traditions
The counties of Tarragona are full of fiestas and traditions the whole year round. Below you will find a list of some of the most interesting:
JANUARY
The Tres Tombs - a traditional procession of horses and carriages held in many towns and villages around the time of St. Anthony's Day. The Festa de la Calçotada in Valls is organised around eating roasted spring onions dipped in a delicious sauce. In Falset the Encamisada de Sant Antoni commemorates the struggle of the muleteers against the invading armies during the War of Succession. Other villages such as Pinell de Brai and La Pobla de Massaluca celebrate their festa major this month.
FEBRUARY
The Festes de la Candelera in Valls and Calafell. Aplecs or cultural group meetings are held in Tivissa, Bot and La Fatarella for San Blas' Day. Most towns and villages celebrate Carnival, but the most famous processions are in Reus and El Vendrell. The Festa de Santa Àgeda, or the woman's fiesta, in Riba-roja d'Ebre. In El Vendrell the Children's "Xatonaire" Festival with xató for everybody.
MARCH
Many "aplecs" are held in religious hermitages around the area. The Diada de la truita amb suc in Ulldemolins gives visitors a chance to try the local juicy spinach omelette.
APRIL
This is the month of palm markets and the traditional Holy Week processions. Ulldecona is famous for its performance of The Passion. The Legend of St. George is recreated during Montblanc's Medieval Week. Caramelles, folk songs commemorating the Resurrection, are sung in several towns. Cake shops are filled with Easter mones, chocolate creations of various shapes and sizes.
MAY
The Aplec de Sant Jeroni in Móra d'Ebre. A performance of the Dance of Sant Crist in Salomó, a recreation in the form of an altarpiece of the discovery of the image.
JUNE
This is the month of "giant and midget" dances, floral street carpets, devil dancers, baton dancers, human towers, bonfires and fireworks, sea processions and street parties. Torredembarra is known for its Corpus Christi celebrations and you can see l'ou com balla at Tarragona Cathedral. The Festa dels Reguers in Tortosa. On the eve of St. John's Day bonfires and fireworks light up the skies of the Costa Daurada.
JULY
Festes del pa beneït (sacred bread) in El Vendrell. The Festa Popular of Móra la Nova has performances for children, mythical animals, "fire-running" and dances. Sant Carles de la Ràpita has a Maritime Procession.
AUGUST
This is the month of the festes majors (main fiestas) with open-air dances, fireworks and all kinds of folk dancing held in most of the area's towns. A hunting-dog competition in Prades. A performance of the Ascension of the Madonna-Mystery of La Selva in La Selva del Camp.
SEPTEMBER
The Diada of September 11th is Catalunya's National Day. Various main fiestas and grape-picking festivals are held around the area.
OCTOBER
Human Towers on St. Ursula's Day in Valls.
NOVEMBER
The month of roast chestnuts and panellets. On All Souls Day the dead are remembered.
DECEMBER
The month for nativity scenes and eating wafers and turrons. Christmas and the Feast of the Three Kings is a time of family reunions, midnight mass and the exchange of gifts. Most towns and villages have performances of the story of the pastorets and some have living nativity scenes. On 31 December l'home dels nassos visits various towns in the region.