Catalan Traditions

The giants are usually hollow figures several meters tall, with a painted “papier maché” head and arms, the rest of the body being covered in cloth and other clothing. Their frame is usually made of wood or aluminium, with “carton-pierre” a mixture of “papier maché” and plaster of paris used to make the head and hands. The frame of the body is hidden by cloth, and their arms typically have no structural element to allow them to swing in the air when the giant dances.

Within the frame there is an individual controlling the giant. He carries a harness on his shoulder that is linked to the internal structure, and will move and shake the giant in a dance, usually accompanied by a local marching band. Typically, these dances will include at least two giants, the male giant “gegant” and the female giantess, or “geganta”, though some towns have multiple couples.

The figures usually depict archetypes of the town, such as the bourgeois and the peasant woman, or historical figures of local relevance, such as a founding king and queen, or pairs of Moorish and Christian nobles.

The Tió de Nadal (“Christmas Log" or “Holiday Log"), also known as “Tió" (trunk or log, a big piece of cut wood) or “Tronca" ("log") and popularly called "Caga tió", is a “character” in Catalan mythology related to a Christmas tradition widespread in Catalonia. A similar tradition exists in other places such as the “Cachafuòc or Soc de Nadal” in Occitania, or the “Tizón de Nadal” or “Tronca de Nabidá” in Aragon, regions with a common history.

A “castell” (Catalan word), is a human tower built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia. At these festivals, several “colles castelleres” or teams often succeed in building and dismantling a tower structure. On November 16, 2010, “castells” were declared

by UNESCO to be amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Alba Gual Albert Rivera Jan Pomès