Costa Dorada Festivals Traditions

Traditions, Holidays and Festivals in the Costa Dorada

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 January
The Tres Tombs - a traditional procession of horses and carriages held in many towns and villages around the time of St. Anthony's Day.
The Festa de la Calçotada in Valls is organised around eating roasted spring onions dipped in a delicious sauce.

 February
The Festes de la Candelera in Valls and Calafell. Most towns and villages celebrate Carnival, but the most famous processions are in Reus and El Vendrell. In El Vendrell the Children's "Xatonaire" Festival with xató (a traditional salad made with fish) for everybody.

 March
Many aplecs (meetings of cultural associations) are held in religious hermitages around the area. The Diada de la truita amb suc in Ulldemolins gives visitors a chance to try the local juicy spinach omelette.

 April
This is the month of palm markets and the traditional Holy Week processions. Ulldecona is famous for its performance of The Passion. Caramelles, folk songs commemorating the Resurrection, are sung in several towns. Cake shops are filled with Easter mones, chocolate creations of various shapes and sizes.

 May
The Aplec de Sant Jeroni in Móra d'Ebre. A performance of the Dance of Sant Crist in Salomó, a recreation in the form of an altarpiece of the discovery of the image

 June
This is the month of "giant and midget" dances. Torredembarra is known for its Corpus Christi celebrations and you can see l'ou com balla ("how the egg dances") at Tarragona Cathedral. The Festa dels Reguers ("irrigation festival") in Tortosa. On the eve of St. John's Day bonfires and fireworks light up the skies of the Costa Daurada.

 July
Festes del pa beneït (sacred bread) in El Vendrell. The Festa Popular of Móra la Nova has performances for children, mythical animals, "fire-running" and dances. Sant Carles de la Ràpita has a Maritime Procession.

 August
This month we will encounter many festes majors (main fiestas) with open-air dances, fireworks and all kinds of folk dancing held in most of the area's towns. A hunting-dog competition in Prades. A performance of the Ascension of the Madonna-Mystery of La Selva (an anonymous work from the second half of the 16th century) in La Selva del Camp.

 September
The Diada of September 11th is Catalonia's National Day. Various main fiestas and grape-picking festivals are held around the area.

 October
Human Towers on St. Ursula's Day in Valls.

 November
The month of roast chestnuts and panellets. On All Souls Day the dead are remembered.

 December
This is the time for nativity scenes and eating wafers and turrons (nougats). Christmas and the Feast of the Three Kings is a time of family reunions, midnight mass and the exchange of gifts. Most towns and villages have performances of the story of the pastorets (shepherds) and some have living nativity scenes. On 31 December l'home dels nassos (the man with the noses) visits various towns in the region.