Fiesta Major de Gràcia 2024 - Decorated streets with live music
Mid August street festival in the neighbourhood of Gràcia, Barcelona, with multiple streets mounting stages and lavish thematic street decorations
Event Start: Aug 15, 2024 09:00h
Event End: Aug 22, 2024 01:30h
About Fiesta Major de Gràcia 2024 - Decorated streets with live music
TheGràcia Festival, fiesta Major de Gràcia has become a popular tourist attraction and is the most famous fiesta major in Barcelona. In fact each Barcelona neighbourhood (and most towns and villages in Spain) have a fiesta Major del pueblo. This is a street party and celebration usually on or around the patron saints day of the village.
History of the Gràcia Neighbourhood and Fiesta Major
Gràcia was an independent town until the late 19th century when the Eixampla housing expansion swallowed Gràcia into the larger Barcelona metropolitan area. in 1897 Gràcia was oficially annexed by Barcelona City Council. Today Gràcia is a mixed neighbourhood with traditional Catalan families, elderly residents and younger people. The area is also popular with artists and has a bohemian vibe although this is disappearing because of gentrification.
The Fiesta Mayor de Gràcia remains very traditional with neighbourhood associations decorating the squares and streets. The decorations are thematical and also express traditional Catalan myths with giants, castellers, devils, etc. the Gràcia festival has many dances of swing and folk, large collective meals, concerts of habaneras, children's workshops, fairs, etc
The Fiestas de Gràcia dates from 200 years ago (earliest records from 1817) when it was organised to commemorate the patron saint of Gràcia town, Saint Isidro in mid-May (Saint Isidore is widely venerated as the patron saint of farmers, peasants, day laborers and agriculture in general, as well as brick layers) when Gràcia was surrounded by fields and was predominantly an agricultural village.
The Fiesta Major de Gràcia in modern times has been celebrated for one week starting on the 15th of August on the National holiday of Day of the Virgin Mary, La Asunción. This holy day marks the occasion of the Virgin Mary's bodily ascent to heaven at the end of her life.
The Fiesta Major de Gràcia has been designated a Traditional Festival of National Interest by the Generalitat (Catalan Government).
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