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Santa Llúcia Fair (Fira de Santa Llúcia) is one of the most beautiful Catalan traditions and it is celebrated every year during the month of December. This fair is celebrated in many towns and villages of Catalonia but the most famous is the one held in Barcelona.
This traditional Christmas fair counts with over 270 stalls on Avinguda de la Catedral (in front of Barcelona’s Cathedral) selling nativity figures, Christmas trees, craft items and friction drums – zambombas.
Preparing for the arrival of the Christmas Holidays, a tradition in Spain (as in many other places), is to prepare and decorate the houses with Christmas decorations and nativity figures. This Fair offers you the chance to find small and nice details to decorate your house to welcome Christmas time.
Part of these details include the local and traditional figures “el caganer” o “el pixaner” which are oftenly represented in a funny way by famous characters of the year that is ending:
Or the figure of the beloved Mr. Tió, which belongs to a tradition for children where they receive small gifts from Mr. Tió (see picture) after gently hitting it with a stick when singing a catalan song called “cagatió”:
The Voll-Damm International Jazz Festival has just arrived once again to Barcelona.
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In this 44th edition, the festival will count with the following performances:
VOLL-DAMM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
| Concert |
Date |
Place |
Time |
Price |
Tickets |
| The Soul Rebels |
17/07/2012 |
Sala Bikini |
21:00 |
17,50€ |
Here |
| Francesco Tristano |
31/10/2012 |
Auditorium 2 |
20:30 |
22,50€ |
Here |
| A.Motis-J.Chamorro Sextet |
02/11/2012 |
Palau de la Música |
21:00 |
15-35€ |
Here |
| Michel Camilo & Tomatito |
07/11/2012 |
Auditorium 1 |
21:00 |
21-57€ |
Here |
| Mariza |
08/11/2012 |
Palau de la Músicai |
21:00 |
21-57€ |
Here |
| Irene Jacob |
10/11/2012 |
Luz de Gas |
21:00 |
33-38€ |
Here |
| La Locomotora Negra |
10/11/2012 |
Palau de la Música |
21:00 |
21-51€ |
Here |
| Paolo Fresu & Quartetto Alborada |
11/11/2012 |
Auditorium 2 |
20:00 |
32,50€ |
Here |
| Lucian Ban |
13/11/2012 |
Auditorium 3 |
20:30 |
22,50€ |
Here |
| María de Medeiros |
14/11/2012 |
Luz de Gas |
21:30 |
33-38€ |
Here |
| Sonny Rollins |
20/11/2012 |
Palau de la Música |
21:00 |
33-88€ |
Here |
| Enrico Pieranunzi |
22/11/2012 |
Auditorium 2 |
20:30 |
32,50€ |
Here |
| Ànimes Càndides |
22/11/2012 |
Luz de Gas |
21:00 |
23-28€ |
Here |
| Francesco Bearzati |
24/11/2012 |
Auditorium 3 |
20:30 |
22,50€ |
Here |
| Brad Mehldau |
28/11/2012 |
Auditorium 1 |
21:00 |
21-51€ |
Here |
| L’Oleil de l´Elephant |
29/11/2012 |
Institut Français |
21:00 |
32,50€ |
Here |
| Chick Corea |
30/11/2012 |
Palau de la Música |
21:00 |
21-57€ |
Here |
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La Mercè (La Merçè in Catalan) is the Patron Saint of Barcelona and it’s celebrated the 24th of September. It happens that Catalonia’s and Barcelona’s Festivity are both in the same month, only 2 weeks apart from each other.
11th of Setember: Diada de Catalunya (Catalonia Festivity)
24th of Setember: La Mercè (Barcelona’s festivity)
Merçè is the female catalan name that corresponds with the Patron Saint of the city. The festivity is celebrated for over a week and it holds a large number of activities for everyone. This year the festifivity goes from Sunday 16th until the 24th.
A large number of events are organized for La Mercè Festivity, here are some of the most relevant:
- 10km run Solidarity race ” Cursa de La Mercè ” taking place on Sunday 16th and going through main Barcelona areas.
- Theatre performances, shows with fireworks and giants and heady characters are performed every day along the whole city.
- Musical concerts are held throughout the city (see below for more details)
- Museums in Barcelona are free on the 24th of September: La Mercè day’s.
- Castellers (human towers) on the 24th of September at Plaça Sant Jaume.
- Piromusical (fireworks) the 24th at Av. Reina Maria Cristina (Plaça Espanya – Metro map):
 La Mercè Festivity – La Merçè 2013
- Concerts start from the 16th of September among the main groups are:
- Sunday 16th: Vetusta Morla, Mishima, Very Pomelo, Maika Makovski
- Friday 21th: Friday’s Blues, Isaac Ulam, Mates Mates, Sonny & the Sunsets, 77, Howlin Rain, The Dream Syndicate, Atleta, Lüger, Black Dice, Le Vent du Nord, La Carrau, Abbey Road, Gani Mirzo …
- Saturday 22nd: The Kooks, Love of Lesbian, La Iaia, L´Hereu Escampa, Betunizer, Africants, Miqui Puig & Original Jazz Orquesta, Jorge Pardo, Meneo, Kap Bambino, The Toxic Avenger, Che Sudaka, Txarango …
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If you want to get more information regarding the program of activities for La Mercè Festivity click here.
La Diada de Catalunya is Catalonia Festivity and it is celebrated the 11th of Setember. With this festivity, Catalonia celebrates the fall of Barcelona in the hands of the Bourbon troops under the Duke of Berwick during the War of Spanish Succession on September 11th, 1714, after fourteen months of siege.
Catalonia’s history has always been linked to a history of struggle, defeat and hardship. La Diada de Catalunya is a Festivity based on the memory of the problems and losses experienced by our ancestors defending these lands and Catalan identity.
During La Diada, Institutions and political parties traditionally made floral offerings to the monuments of Rafael Casanova (Ronda Sant Pere 51, metro Urquinaona, check Barcelona Metro map here) and Josep Moragues, both in Barcelona.
Since 2003, the main festivity of La Diada in Barcelona is holded in Ciutadella Park (click here for Public transportation information in Barcelona). On this festivity, music, catalan personalities and thousands of citizens meet to celebrate and enjoy this very special date.
During the celebration, the most relevant icons: la Senyera (Catalan flag) can be usually seen everywhere and specially hanging from balconies and the Catalonian National anthem “Els Segadors” can be usually heard as it is commonly played to exalt the Catalan feeling.
 La Diada de catalunya La Diada de Catalunya is a patriotic and very significative day for all catalans and people that live in Catalonia.
Unfortunately, this special date coincides with one of the darkest and most tragic dates of recent times in the world: the attack on the twin towers in New York on 11.09.2001.
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