Catalan traditions

Grab a flight to Barcelona at the end of August and catch the unique Catalan festivities in the town of Vilafranca de Penedes.

The Festa Major is five day celebration of traditional Catalonian culture, taking place between August 29th and September 2nd, centring around the feast of St Felix which takes place on August 30th.

Visitors to Vilafranca can witness the excitement of fireworks dancing giant puppets and human towers as part of the traditions which date back to the 1700s.

During the five day event the people will take to the streets with costumes and traditional instruments, parade with giant puppet heads and set off firework-loaded dragons.

The highlight of the festivities though are the human tower competitions, where participants, otherwise known as castellers, group together and clamber up onto one another's shoulders, carefully balancing to form a giant tower of bodies.

For more information check out the Festa Major website.

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