A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals by Christopher Corr

Author:Christopher Corr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Published: 2020-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Some communities perform dragon and lion dances during the festival for luck. People also give gifts of mooncakes to friends and family. These are sweet pastries made from sugary pastes and salted egg yolk.

The Jade Rabbit is a popular symbol during the festival. He is believed to live on the moon and keeps Chang’e company.

The Giants Parade is a sight to be seen! Huge papier-mâché giants parade down the streets and can measure over 13 feet tall!

LA MERCÈ FESTIVAL

Every year in Barcelona, La Mercè Festival takes place for five days, transforming the city’s streets into a huge outdoor party. Hundreds of events take place all over the city as people get ready for a Catalan celebration like no other.

The festival was traditionally held to honor Barcelona’s patron saint, the Virgin of La Mercè, bid farewell to the long summer months and welcome in the shorter, cooler autumn days. Today people celebrate with countless different events all over the city including live music, street performances, a Giants Parade, and much more.

A Correfoc or “fire run” is an open-air performance where people dressed in devil outfits or as monstrous creatures set off fireworks. People attending are warned to cover up as sparks often fly into the crowds! This tradition dates back to the 12th century, when the “Ball de Diables” or “dance of the devils” was a popular type of street theater that portrayed the forces of good and evil.

One of the highlights of the festival is a performance put on by a group called the Castellers de Barcelona. Thousands of people pack in tightly to fill a big open space called the Plaça de Jaume to watch the Castellers try to build a human tower. The towers follow precise steps and instructions and are made up of three definite parts—the pinya (or base), the tronc (or trunk), and the pom de dalt (or the crown of the castle). These towers can reach up to ten levels tall, but it takes a huge amount of skill and practice to do this.

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