The 6 Most Important Customs And Traditions Of Aragon
Aragon is an autonomous community that stands out for its traditions and cultural diversity. Various linguistic varieties are spoken here, which are classified within three different languages: Spanish, Aragonese and Catalan, with Spanish or Castilian being the most spoken language in this territory and the official language.
It is convenient to talk about the customs and traditions of Aragon that are so deeply rooted in its long history, this territory having been defined in its Statute of Autonomy as a historical nationality, since the Kingdom of Aragon had formed the Crown of Aragon for centuries together to the Kingdom of Valencia, the Kingdom of Mallorca, the Principality of Catalonia and also together with some territories of Greece, Italy and France.
In this article We will get to know the most famous customs and traditions of Aragon and representative of this region.
The most famous festivities, traditions and customs of Aragon
Among the cultural particularities of Aragon that reflect the History and diversity of this Autonomous Community, the following stand out.
1. Holy Week in Aragon
The first customs and traditions of Aragon that we are going to highlight are a series of events that can only be enjoyed in this community during Holy Week, and it is one of the territories in Spain where the bass drums and drums sound the most, it should be said that in Aragon a series of theatrical performances are held and some customs with centuries of history behind them take place.
The first of these events is called “break the wave”, being a unique tradition with international recognition in which hundreds of drums and bass drums gather in the squares of some Aragonese towns and, after a silence that can be shocking, is broken with a loud sound through these traditional instruments . This show takes place every year in mainly 9 Aragonese locations.
The second event that we are going to highlight is called “throwing tears”, which is celebrated every Holy Thursday in the streets of Alcalá de Gurrea, where the well-known procession “The Tears of Our Lady” parades, a typical custom of this event being that the falling of tears is simulated with the petals of the flowers that some neighbors throw from their homes over the passage of the procession when it passes. along Main Street. In addition, this act is accompanied by the music of some instruments such as the carraclas or the rattles.
Thirdly, we must mention “the drama of the cross” celebrated in the Aragonese town of Alcorisa, where the death and passion of Christ is recreated and, more specifically, it takes place on the Monte del Calvario in said town.
Another of the events that make Aragonese Holy Week unique is the auction of the steps that is held in the municipality of Biel every Good Friday There the sticks of the litters of the nine steps that are offered by the Brotherhood of the Dulce Nombre de Jesús are auctioned so that those who acquire them can carry them during the procession, being a tradition that comes from the ancient discussions that used to originate every year. for taking the steps. The funds obtained serve the brotherhood to replace the habits and candles that have been delivered during the procession.
In addition, it is the customs and traditions of Aragon during Holy Week that we have just mentioned. It is also worth mentioning that it is also a tradition to enjoy typical Aragonese sweets such as “Culecas”, also called “Monas de Pascua”, prepared with eggs, flour , sugar, butter, lemon zest, olive oil and hard-boiled egg, as well as the tradition of consuming other sweets such as torrijas and buñuelos.
2. Feast of Saint George or Aragon Day
Every April 23, one of the main festivals in Aragon is celebrated, since This day is a holiday throughout the community because it is the day of its patron saint, Saint George, and therefore, Aragon Day is also celebrated. That day, the Aragonese usually hang the flag of Aragon on the balconies of their houses, wear some Aragonese distinctive on their clothing or wear some clothing with Aragonese distinctive, as well as buy the well-known Aragonese dessert known as “El Lanzón”. ”.
During this day numerous activities and events are held, among which it is worth mentioning the “Aragon Awards” awarded by the General Council of Aragon to various personalities of the community, this being the most important award granted in Aragon.
Also A series of institutional events are held in the 3 capitals of the province of Aragon (Teruel, Huesca and Zaragoza). On the other hand, on Aragon Day, various musical and cultural performances, among others, are held.
On this important date, there have been some years in which it has been used to hold different demonstrations in order to demand various requests such as asking for more powers for Aragon.
3. Winter festivals in Aragon
The winter festivals are one of the customs and traditions of Aragon that have a more intimate and local character, being a celebration that is celebrated intensely, causing a lot of emotion among the Aragonese because they are the ones in which the events usually take place. more traditional historically in honor of the patterns. Some of the most famous are those of San Antonio Abad (San Antón), those of San Sebastián in Alcorisa and Castelserás etc.
In some of these celebrations, fire is a central element and there are also towns where commemorations of events with a lot of history take place, as is the case of the representation of the Carta Puebla in the town of Belmonte, with a celebration of burning of witches
4. Pillar Day
Pilar Day is another of the main customs and traditions of Aragon and, especially, in its capital, Zaragoza, where the patron saint festivities are held every October 12 in honor of the Virgen del Pilar, this date being a National Holiday in Spain. This festival was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in 1980 and in 2019 it has been declared an International Festival.
That day the Zaragoza City Council organizes multiple events such as the masses, the offerings, the proclamation, the troupe of giants and big heads, various fairs, such as the General Fair of Zaragoza and the beer fair among others. There is also an event with fireworks shows, children’s activities, as well as various music and theater shows.
On the other hand, during the Pilar Day festivities It is common for various groups to form clubs to organize and participate in various events such as parades, festivals, concerts, children’s games the meetings between the different clubs, etc.
5. Other Aragonese festivals
Among all the customs and traditions of Aragon, it is also worth highlighting the Major Festivals of each of the towns, because In this territory they are the most anticipated and in which the residents of each locality are most involved ; above all, young people, thanks to a series of events that take place such as the proclamation, the coronation of the queen and the ladies of the festivities, as well as the processions in honor of the patron saints and the respective mass, etc.
Other events with historical roots that manage to bring together a large crowd of Aragonese and visitors are “La Cerca” (La Mata de los Olmos), “Rosaneiros” (Calanda and Castelserás), “La Cercavilla” (Castelserás, Mas de las Matas and La Mata), “La Mochiganga” (El Mas de las Matas), “Los Rosconet” (Genebrosa), etc.
Then there are also the Carnivals in Aragon, a celebration in which the streets of the Aragonese municipalities are filled with color and emotion, worth highlighting those of some towns such as the Bielsa Carnival, and others such as Tarazona, Épila, Jaca, La Fueva, Broto, Ejea de los Caballeros, Calamocha, etc. Some of the most characteristic characters of these Carnivals are the zarragones, the devils, the madams or the trangas, among others.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight the “Noche de las Ánimas”, a celebration that takes place on the eve of All Saints’ Day in Aragon where the battlements, ghosts, pumpkins and photons take center stage, this tradition having been recovered recently, after half a century without being celebrated, in the town of Piedratajada, although it is also celebrated in other Aragonese towns such as Radiquero, Trasmoz, Lupiñén, Ibdes, Pedrola, Teruel and Caspe.
During this festival, the towns usually remain in darkness, while some neighbors wrapped in capes prowl the streets with lanterns and knock on the doors of the houses in order for the souls to come out. In other places you can see white battlements wandering the streets with two lit candles, while the tones dressed in black walk with a candle. The rest of the neighbors must flee from them.
6. Festivals and traditions of Zaragoza
Among all the customs and traditions of Aragon, it is worth mentioning some of the festivals and traditions of Zaragoza, its capital, beyond the well-known Pilar Festival or Saint George’s Day.
To do this, we will start with the festivities of San Valero (January 29), in honor of a Roman saint who lived in this town and who would end up being the patron saint of Zaragoza In this celebration, the most important events are held in the Plaza del Pilar, a place where on that day it is customary for attendees to distribute a piece of roscón. On the other hand, free guided tours of the museums are carried out and a popular race is also held.
Every March 5 in Zaragoza the “Cincomarzada” is celebrated a festival that is celebrated in honor of the triumph of this city over the Carlist troops in 1838, it is a tradition that the participants of this celebration go to the Parque del Tío Jorge where multiple sports, musical and cultural activities are carried out.
On the other hand, In Zaragoza during the Christmas season it is a tradition to see the streets full of lights, markets and various activities it is customary to visit the Plaza del Pilar where the largest nativity scene in all of Spain is installed and in this same square on New Year’s Eve it is a tradition to drink grapes to welcome the new year, as well as it is the place where the celebrations take place. most important activities of the parade of kings every January 5.
