Hard to understand for those who have never experienced it, Saint George’s Day is a popular festive day when book and rose stalls, and, above all, floods of people, take over the streets of all Catalan towns and villages. The celebration could not be simpler: the ritual consists of going for a walk and buying a rose, a book or both to give to loved ones, family members and friends. Although it is not a public holiday, the day and the essential walk fill the streets and squares, making it a unique national festival celebrated on a working day.

The most popular legend in Catalonia about Sant Jordi tells that at Montblanc, in Conca de Barberà, there was a terrible dragon which viciously attacked men and beasts. To pacify it, lots were drawn and a person was chosen to be given as a sacrifice to the monster. One day, the misfortune fell on the king’s daughter, who would have died in the beast’s claws if it had not been for the arrival of a handsome knight who challenged the dragon and killed it. The tradition adds that from bloodshed was born a rose with red flowers…

The origin of this unusual festival can be found in a mixture of traditions and customs from different periods. The fact that Saint George (Sant Jordi) is the patron saint of Catalonia (officially since 1456, although he was being venerated as early as the 8th century) coincides with another medieval custom of celebrating a Rose Fair or «Lovers’ Fair» at the Palau de la Generalitat.

The Dia del Llibre (the Book Day) is much more recent. According to some sources, it was first held on October 7th 1926. The original idea came from the Barcelona-based Valencian writer Vicent Clavel Andrés, who proposed it to the Cambra Oficial del Llibre de Barcelona. Shortly afterwards, in 1930, the date was changed to April 23rd, to commemorate the fact that the writers Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare both died on 23 April 1616, although according to different calendars.

The beauty, the love and the protest air which the Catalans live this emblematic day surprises very much the tourists. The balconies fill with Catalan flags and the streets of people (rose and book in hand) ready to go … If you want to go out to have dinner you must think that at night all the restaurants are full of lovers, so make a reservation!

AltiroBarcelona wishes you Happy Sant Jordi’s Day

Easter is here!

During the days previous to Easter, the pastry shops of Catalonia exhibit a delicious and original show: cakes and chocolate figures, some of which are so complex and detailed that we can talk of real art works. This tradition, which is typical from Catalonia and Valencia, is known as “Mona de Pascua” (Easter cake). Its name comes from the Arabic term ‘munna’, which means “provision of the mouth”, a gift in the shape of sweet food that the Moriscos (Moorish convert to Christianity who remained in Spain after the Reconquest) used to make for their lords to celebrate that Lent was over.

During the following weekend there are some processions around the city and on Monday March 28th (Lunes de Pascua) is tradition to eat “La mona de Pascua” it is a cake accompanied by several figures of chocolate. The godfather present to the godchildren on the Mona Day (Día de la Mona). This is the day when families get together to eat the mona as a dessert.

Altiro barcelona will be open until Thursday 3pm. Friday to Monday the office will be closed. Enjoy the holidays and see you on Tuesday!

You know that Christmas is coming to Barcelona when Fira de Santa Llúcia opens?

The Fira de Santa Llúcia is an outdoor market where you find everything you need to permeate the spirit of Christmas: Clay figures for Bethlehem, mistletoe, the tree and its ornaments, crafts, drums, the “Tió” and the famous’ caganers ‘!

For the people of Barcelona is a custom to go with the kids for a walk, despite the cold, so to live and feel the Christmas atmosphere and be surrounded by good marketer. It is celebrated during the month of December (this year it starts on November 27th) in the Cathedral Square, has nearly 300 stalls and, for years, also held a replica in the Sagrada Família Square.

The earliest date that we know of the fair, is for the year 1786 and since then, no calamity, as the terrible epidemic of yellow fever that plagued city of Barcelona in 1860, did not stop the celebration. It is said that the trade show was known as «the fair of the girls» because they thought single girls were going to hunt husband, but that are old gossip …

The two “firas” open every day until December 23rd, so now you know where to buy holiday decorations ¿We begin to feel the magic of Christmas?

LA CASTANYADA

The Castanyada is a Catalan festival celebrated on November 1 All Saints Day, and as Halloween, comes from an ancient ritual funeral feast. The feast is a meal where you eat chestnuts, panellets, and sweet candied fruit.

During this period is usually found in the street stalls selling cooked chestnuts and sweet potatoes (in Las Ramblas or Urquinaona Pl you can find!). And in bakeries and pastry shops you can buy the typical sweets of this celebration: The Panellets, marzipan of different flavors, even that the most traditional one is the pine nuts.

The figure of a chestnut is the symbol of this tradition: an old woman, dressed in rags and a headscarf in front of a stove where she cook chestnuts

PANELLETS

500 grs. almonds, 400 grs. sugar, 250 grs. cooked sweet potato, 200 grs. pine, 1 egg

Boil the whole sweet potato whit the skin until tender, hot, peel and put in a dish and crushed with a fork and add the sugar, mixed and added slowly ground almonds, finish to mix the dough with your hands so the almond is mix with the dough.

Pine nuts: Made balls with the dough, passed by beaten egg and then by the pine nuts (tighten well for sticking pine nuts), after paint the balls with egg yolks. Bake in a 250°C oven for 10 minutes.

HALLOWEEN

Halloween comes to town on October 31st.
Halloween is the time to wear costumes with masks or be dressed as ghosts, zombies, witches and more. In Barcelona you can find different stores to rent or buy props. Although the modern Halloween is based on U.S. traditions. it is increasingly common to be held in a large number of bars and clubs of Barcelona.

To celebrate the event we propose the Music Hall Barcelona, ​​a concert hall located a few meters from Plaza Catalunya, on October 30st they celebrate Halloween with a special show: Evil Dead 2 and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

What is the pass? The audience sings, dances, shouts, insults to the good, the bad applaud, throw rice at weddings, and get wet when it rains during the two hours of the show. The border between the screen and the theatre is blurry, you laugh at the blockbusters in 3D! Double session that will make you tremble with fear or laughter, and will depart costume competition with premiums.