FEASTS
AND TRADITIONS
Calendar of
feasts and events for 2001
January
5 Cavalcade
of the Three Kings
20 / 21 “The
Pilgrim of Tossa”:
Pilgrimage
to Santa Coloma de Farners. Procession
22 - 27 Local
Winter Feast of “Sant Vicenç”:
Sardana
dancing - Concerts - Balls - Shows for children
February / March
23.02 - 03.03 Carnival:
Passacaglia
- Balls - Shows for children
April
Cultural
Weeks
May
1 Feast
of the Holy Cross:
Procession
- Competition of flower crosses - Sardana dancing
6 "Aplec
de la Mare de Déu de Gràcia" - (Fête champêtre)
June
2 Habanera
recital (seamen's songs) and "cremat"
3 The
fisherman's day :
Breakfast
with sardines - Sardana dancing
14 Corpus
Christi:
Procession
- Flower mats - Sardana dancing
28.06 - 01.07 Local
Summer Feast of " Sant Pere":
Sardana dancing - Balls - Concerts - Fireworks - Shows for children
July
2 "Toquen
a Córrer, Ses Nou Sardanes" -
Typical old local traditional sort of dance
15 " Aplec de Sant Benet" -
(Fête champêtre)
August
During all the month 8th International Music Festival
12 Fair
of Drawing and Painting
26 Tossa
de Mar International Quick Painting Prize
September
11 The
National Feast of Catalunya
23 International Tourism Day
October
7 "Aplec
de la Sardana" - Sardana dancer's meeting
Meeting of beetle cars
13 " Aplec de Sant Grau" (Fête
Champêtre)
December
Christmas
holidays Life
Nativity Scenes in the walled enceinte of “Vila Vella”
FEASTS AND TRADITIONS
Brief explanation on the most
important local feasts and traditions
The village has
maintained its most ancestral traditions, such as the one which every 20th
of January moves the citizens to go on the pilgrimage to Sta. Coloma de
Farners to fulfil the "Pilgrim’s Vow".
This religious
tradition, very deeply rooted and respected in Tossa, goes back to the
beginning of the XVth century, when half Europe was suffering the devastation
of the bubonic plague. According to tradition, Tossa implored Saint Sebastian
for help, begging him to release the village from the plague. The prayers were
attended and Tossa was released from the illness. To prove the citizen’s
gratitude, the village promised that a man of Tossa would go every year on a
pilgrimage to the nearest chapel dedicated to the Saint.
Ever since then,
on the 20th of January, the Father Pilgrim and all those people who
wish to accompany him walk as far as 40 Km to the chapel of Saint Sebastian in
Santa Coloma de Farners, and return back to Tossa the day after. When they
arrive in Tossa there is an emotive procession going through the old village,
passing in front of the walled enceinte -which is lighted with fire torches for
the occasion- and finishing at the parish church of Sant Vicenç.
Another tradition
is the Holy Cross feast, which was anciently celebrated on the 3rd
May and has now been transfered to the 1st May, as this is a
national bank holiday. The main activity realized during this festivity is the
celebration of a competition of crosses made out with natural flowers. These
crosses are carried in a procession until the old medieval enceinte of the Vila
Vella, where the winning crosses are placed for exhibition.
On the 2nd
of July, which is the festivity of the Mother God of Aid (la Verge
del Socors) there is a traditional local dance called "toquen a
córrer, ses nou sardanes" taking place in town. This dance, precedent
from the sardana as it is known nowadays, commemorates a local legend according
to which this Virgin runned after the devil who was taking away with him a
little boy from Tossa whose name was Xixanet.
This dance
alternates nine short sardanas with the toquen a córrer, which is a sort
of gallop danced by two women and a man all along the Socors street
until the music stops. The whole dance is completed by a final waltz.
