Several years ago, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Cathedral, and the Federació d'Entitats de Cultura Popular i Tradicional de Barcelona Vella decided to bring back one of the oldest and most beautiful festivals ever to take place in the city: Corpus Christi. To do so, they drew from community-based and participatory festive elements that have evolved over the centuries and that are shared by the people of Barcelona as a whole, such as the 'ou com balla', the flower carpets, and the procession.
In addition to the outdoor events, there will be a wide range of cultural activities, such as lectures, discussions, and exhibitions. Corpus Christi is a living tradition in Barcelona, which will be decked out in a manifestation of the city's deeply rooted folk culture traditions. One more year, despite the drought and the climate emergency it represents, the festival will return to patios and gardens through innovative formats, with adapted ou com balla, flower carpets, bell-ringing, exhibitions, presentations, dances, and the procession.
Come enjoy this historic festival steeped in symbolism!
The dancing egg also known as the ou com balla has been one of the stars of Corpus Christi since 1636. The tradition consists of making an egg ‘dance’ on jets of water in cloisters, patios, and gardens, which are decorated for the occasion with floral motifs and cherries.
The tradition, as simple as it is mysterious, sparks heated debate among experts on the topic, who even to this day argue about the origin and meaning of the ou com balla. For some, it’s a metaphor representing the cycle of life and a reference to time and constant motion. Others see it as mere entertainment from the Middle Ages.
One more year, the ou com balla Egg, the Corpus Christi feature most closely associated with Barcelona, has had to adapt to the drought and the climate emergency it represents. Given this exceptional situation, organisations have sought different solutions based on the possibilities each space offers, the goal being to preserve the celebration. Wherever water can be reused, quantities have been minimised, while other spaces have had to use flowers to decorate waterless fountains or make the egg dance with a jet of air.
The carpets are ephemeral works of art traditionally made out of flower petals, whole flowers, and herbs, though for several years now, people have been experimenting with other materials, such as seeds, sawdust, and coffee grounds. They may represent a wide range of motifs, but the most frequent tend to be related to springtime, local themes, or the religious elements of Corpus Christi or simply represent geometric motifs.
As with the enramades [decorations using branches], the origins of these carpets can be found in the Roman era, specifically the floral and herbal decorations that adorned Roman households. It should also be noted that floral decorations are a very common feature in all cultures.
Though the carpets are not exclusive to Corpus Christi, this is when they are the most likely to be seen. At first, they were simply meant to transform the festive space and release a pleasant scent, especially when they were trodden on by the passing procession. Carpet makers usually work in local groups representing different streets and squares that compete with each other. In 2005, the Federació d’Entitats Catifaires de Catalunya was founded with the goal of joining forces to preserve and share this tradition while perfecting the craft.
This year, based on the theme of 600 years of giants in Barcelona, the City Hall carpet represents the anniversary logo, which accompanies all the extraordinary activities that commemorate the anniversary. It will not be the only carpet dedicated to the giants, since others will be added such as the one at the Casa dels Entremesos and the one at the Etnològic Museum (Montcada headquarters).
The highlight of the Corpus Christi festival in Barcelona is the festival procession, a secular parade with figures from folk culture, such as the giants, represented by the Gegants de la Ciutat, Gegants del Pi, and Gegants de Santa Maria del Mar, as well as the Eagle, the Lion, the Ox and more... And they're accompanied by various dances, music, and other elements of folk culture, such as the Trabucaires d'en Perot Rocaguinarda with their blunderbusses, the Gegants nous de la Casa de Caritat o del Corpus, the Coronela militia, the Cu-cut dwarf of the Plaça Nova and the Ball de Cercolets [hoop dance] of the Esbart Català.
The procession, which has been held in Barcelona since 1320, is part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage. For centuries this street parade has been the city’s true annual festival. Its community-based, secular side has given rise to numerous dances and festive imagery: the Corpus Christi procession has traditionally served as a showcase for the ‘gegants’ [giants], ‘capgrossos’ [figures with oversize heads], and ‘bestiari’ [beasts], as well as dances and other festive figures dreamt up by the people.
The procession is held on the Sunday following the Corpus Christi holiday, and this year falls on 2nd June.
* The organisers advise people with hearing problems or sensitivity, particularly the elderly and children, to take precautionary measures (plugs, cotton, etc.) during the events involving the trabucaires.
