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"Gegants" are brought from Sant Cugat to l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0)
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The gegants are brought from Sant Cugat to l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0)
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The "caparrots" dance next to l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0)
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The various "colles" toss candy to onlookers as they parade through the neighborhood streets. Photo courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY ND 2.0).
Every year on March 3 the Barcelona neighborhoods of Gràcia, Sarrià, Sant Gervasi and La Bordeta explode in what has come to be known as la festa més dolça—the sweetest festival. Children and adults alike crowd the streets of these neighborhoods with bags and inverted umbrellas in hand to gather as many sweets as they can as they rain down from the passing parade.
Mosaic of Sant Medir and Sant Severus in l'ermita de Sant Medir. Photo by Till F. Teenck (CC BY-SA 2.5).
Magic Beans?
According to folklore, the festival’s roots go all the way back to the fourth century at the height of the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Diocletian. Fearing for his life, Bishop Severus of Barcelona fled to Sant Cugat del Vallès. As he crossed the Collserola Mountains he came upon Medir sowing broad beans in a field. The bishop explained his predicament to Medir and instructed him to be completely forthcoming if the Romans came looking for him. As soon as Severus left, the beans miraculously sprouted and began to grow.
Soon the Romans came looking for Severus, and when Medir told them that the bishop had only recently passed as he was planting his beans they were incredulous—the plants were fully grown and starting to bloom! One version of the story recounts that, believing that Medir was lying to protect the bishop, the Romans captured him. Later, they also captured the fleeing bishop and both were martyred.
Where Does the Candy Come In?
The Festival of Sant Medir wasn’t actually celebrated until much later in 1828 when Josep Vidal i Granés, a baker in the village of Gràcia, fell ill. Fearing that he may not recover, Vidal vowed that if he did survive he would make a pilgrimage each year to l’ermita de Sant Medir. Vidal had always admired Sant Medir, and when he did eventually recover, he kept his promise. Upon returning from his first pilgrimage, Vidal threw broad beans to everyone around him in homage to the tragedy that had befallen Bishop Severus and Sant Medir centuries before.
In the years following, the pilgrimage grew as Vidal’s friends and family joined him, eventually forming several groups for the pilgrimage. These groups are known as colles and still come together to carry on Vidal’s legacy. Every year over 25 colles make the pilgrimage and return to shower the crowd with sweets—apparently miraculous broad beans are harder to find these days.
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"Diada castellera" (human towers) at l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0).
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The "bastoners" dance with their batons near l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0).
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Every year mass is celebrated on March 3 at l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0).
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Dancing "sardanas" near l'ermita de Sant Medir for the Sant Medir's Day celebrations. Photo by Jordi Garcia (CC BY NC 2.0)
2023 Sant Medir Celebrations
The festival's official opening ceremony kicks off on Sunday, February 19 with the gathering of the flag bearers, ball de bastons (stick dancing), dancing gegants, a parade and family activities. The following weekend sees a correfoc running through the streets on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 18:30 starting at Gran de Gràcia with Nil Fabra. On Sunday, February 26 the 39th annual pilgrimage from Gràcia to l’Ermita de Sant Medir begins at 8:00 from Plaça Trilla, bringing participants up trough the Horta-Guinardó district and into Collserola Park to the hermitage tucked in among the hills along the old Roman road that connected Terrassa and Barcelona. As every year, a tribute will be paid to the founder of the festival, Josep Vidal i Granés, at the cemetery of Sant Genís dels Agudells.
The celebrations spread to other neighborhoods on Friday, March 3; in Gràcia, Sant Gervasi and la Bordeta, candy will rain down in the streets and squares starting at 10:00 and lasting until early afternoon. Then at 20:00 music bands, coles, horse drawn carriages, dancers and parade floats fill the streets of Gràcia once again.
Celebrations fill the morning and afternoon of Saint Medir's Day at the hermitage in Collserola Park. Gegants and capgrossos make the pilgrimage with ordinary folks up from Sant Cugat to the sacred site, and then perform a dance for all to enjoy. You're sure to see the traditional sardana dancing, ball de bastons and castells as well if you make the trip.
On the Sunday following Sant Medir's day (March 5) another parade fills the streets surrounding the Parish of Sant Medir in La Bordeta neighborhood—with yet more candy showered upon onlookers. Also on the fifth is the diada castellera de Sant Medir at noon in the Sarrià neighborhood.
Originally published on February 26, 2020, updated February 18, 2023.