This blog post was originally posted on March 4, 2016, and was updated on September 21, 2017. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every region in Spain has traditions to call their own, and the traditions of Barcelona and Catalonia can sometimes be surprising!<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While every place in the world\u2014and especially in Spain\u2014has its own traditions that might sometimes seem a bit odd to outsiders, it seems like here in Catalonia we really do have our fair share. While some are simpler\u2014think folkloric dance and festivals\u2014some of them definitely could also fall into the weird and wonderful variety. Read about the age-old and sometimes quirky traditions of Barcelona!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Castellers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of Barcelona and Catalonia’s most famous traditions involves a group of people, children included, climbing on top of each other to make human castles. Castellers<\/em>, as they’re known, practice this official sport on any given weekend, holiday or festival throughout the year, and they can get up to eight, nine, even ten layers high! The most dazzling part? The small child who crawls to the top! Take a look at these terrific guys in action in the video below!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Correfoc<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Listen up, pyromaniacs! Nobody loves fire quite like the Catalans do, and the correfoc<\/em>, which literally translates to fire-run, is just that! They are a group of people dressed as devils, shooting off fireworks without abandon. This is one of the most exciting traditions of Barcelona and you can find them during neighborhood and city festivals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Gegants<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Gegants<\/em>, or giants, play an important role in Catalan tradition and folklore<\/a>. Usually representing neighborhood characters like the butcher, baker or fisherman, the giants parade around during festivals and also many special city events. There are hundreds of different characters, each one belonging to a different district or neighborhood of the city, and their twirling dance will be sure to impress!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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