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Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Jan 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Jan 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Jan 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Jan 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Jan 13, 2019. Photo courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-ND 2.0).
The vibrant central barri of Sant Antoni plays host to the city’s first major neighborhood festival of the year, with events happening over several days. We round up on some of the “must-sees” taking place over the biggest weekend of the festival, one of which includes the blessing of various domesticated critters.
Saint Anthony Blessing the Animals, the Poor and the Sick. Master of St. Veronica, 1395-1415 (Google Art Project).
The middle of January is a time for taking stock and healing those self-inflicted festive excesses, right? Perhaps. But just so you know, if you plan to do all of your resting up at home, you’ll be missing out. Representing the opening of the city’s festival season, Festa Major de Sant Antoni runs January 13-29, 2023 and its numerous free cultural events and gatherings make it a great time to visit the area.
What’s It All About?
Barcelona’s local cultural festivals, like those in many towns and cities with rich Catholic traditions, are often dedicated to a virgin or a saint. These celebrations are known as Festes Patronals (Patron Saint Festivals). Since Sant Antoni draws its name from the long-vanished Church of Saint Anthony (which once stood in the adjoining neighborhood of El Raval), its Festa Major is celebrated annually in conjunction with the feast day of Saint Anthony the Abbot (January 17). As Saint Anthony, or “Anthony the Great,” is the Patron Saint of Animals, the festival attracts a good amount of pet-loving enthusiasts who bring along their furry friends to be blessed.
Where Do I Start?
In case you aren’t familiar with the area, Sant Antoni is the hip, brunch-biting and serenely chill neighborhood that surrounds Antoni Rovira i Trias' majestic Mercat de Sant Antoni, built in 1882. There are numerous fringe events happening throughout its many nearby bars, schools and civic centers, so my suggestion would be to start your exploration outwardly from the market and venture along the popular thoroughfares of Carrer del Parlament, Carrer de Tamarit and Ronda de Sant Antoni. You can get the full schedule of events at barcelona.cat.
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It's not just a Barcelona tradition, all of Spain celebrates Saint Anthony's feast day. Pet owners and pets alike across the country don their Sunday best on this special day for the blessing of the animals. Photo taken Jan 17, 2019, courtesy of Ajuntment de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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It's not just a Barcelona tradition, all of Spain celebrates Saint Anthony's feast day. Pet owners and pets alike across the country don their Sunday best on this special day for the blessing of the animals. Photo taken Jan 17, 2019, courtesy of Ajuntment de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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It's not just a Barcelona tradition, all of Spain celebrates Saint Anthony's feast day. Pet owners and pets alike across the country don their Sunday best on this special day for the blessing of the animals. Photo taken Jan 17, 2019, courtesy of Ajuntment de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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It's not just a Barcelona tradition, all of Spain celebrates Saint Anthony's feast day. Pet owners and pets alike across the country don their Sunday best on this special day for the blessing of the animals. Photo taken Jan 17, 2019, courtesy of Ajuntment de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY-ND 2.0).
The Must Sees
Opening Ceremony & Parade, January 14, 2023, 11:30
Devils and wild beasts will dance through neighborhood streets alongside gegants, gapgrossos, the Porca de Sant Antoni, drummers, classic cars and bastoners in this all-out opening celebration. The parade starts at Jardinets de l'Alguer and goes along Calàbria, Floridablanca, Villarroel, Tamarit and back to Jardinets de l’Alguer.
The Blessing of the Animals, January 17, 2023, 11:00-12:00, January 21, 11:00-12:00
This charming tradition sees pet owners bringing their furry family members out in droves to the Escola Pia de Sant Antoni (Ronda de Sant Pau, 72) where you can witness the blessing of the animals in the name of Saint Anthony himself.
The Tres Tombs de Barcelona, January 21, 2023, 11:00-14:00
The Tres Tombs cavalcada (parade) is the oldest in the city and offers a unique glimpse at a truly historic tradition. The name Tres Tombs (three turns) is derived from a time when the procession would make three laps around the neighborhood. As always, the procession will feature horses, ponies, donkeys and vintage carriages. Starting at 11:00 at Carrer de Tamarit with Avinguda del Paral·lel, the parade will run through Sant Antoni and the Raval ending at Carrer de Manso and l’Avinguda del Paral·lel at 14:00, offering the perfect opportunity to witness a traditional procession and ponder how its streets might have looked close to two centuries ago.
Fira de la Cervesa Artesana, January 21, 2023, 10:00-23:00
Coinciding with the last days of the Sant Antoni district's main festival, the district's Artisan Beer Fair returns for a full day on Carrer d'Urgell, between Floridablanca and Tamarit, you can taste different types of craft beers handmade by producers from Barcelona and the rest of Catalunya. The glass and the tastings cost €2.50.
Trobada de Puntaires, photo by Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr .
Trobada de Puntaires, January 21, 11:00-13:00, Carrer de l'Envelat
Spain has a long history of lace-making. But at the end of the 18th century, machines did away with the professional lace-maker entirely. However, the culture and love of lace-making is alive and kicking in Barcelona today. Many towns and villages throughout Catalunya host annual lace-making trobadas (gatherings) throughout the year in conjunction with other celebrations, such as local fairs and festes majors, including the festa major de Sant Antoni, organized by the Associació Veïnal de Sant Antoni.
Since machines make so much of the lace we see today, it is hard to appreciate the amount of work, skill and commitment that goes into making a piece of hand-made lace. Whereas a knitter might create a hat in a few hours, a lace-maker will take months to create the smallest of pieces because the weaves are so tiny. See firsthand how these intricate works of art are created at this neighborhood trobada of lace makers.
The famous "correfoc infernal" of the Saint Anthony celebrations, photo courtesy of the Ajuntament d'Esplugues de Llobregat (CC BY 2.0).
Correfoc (Fire Run), January 22, 2023, 20:15
The festival’s main correfoc takes place on Sunday and offers up some much-needed winter heat while illuminating Sant Antoni’s main arteries. Starting out from Jardinets de l'Alguer on Avinguda Mistral and hosted by Diables de Sant Antoni, this year’s fire run will feature all the usual devil-clad pyro-lovers. They will parade through the streets accompanied by multiple papier-mâché menacing beasts; pounding out rhythms and providing enough flame to keep your kittens’ paws warm.
"Foguerons" (bonfires) fill the squares of the Gràcia neighborhood during the Saint Anthony celebrations. Photo by Börkur Sigurbjörnsson (CC BY 2.0).
Foguerons de Sant Antoni, January 28, 2023
Dozens of plazas are set ablaze in the great foguerons (bonfires) of Sant Antoni! Born in the Mallorcan village of Sa Pobla, this relatively new addition to the Sant Antoni celebrations came to Barcelona in 1992 and has grown in scope ever since. Make you way to the Gràcia, Poblenou or Montbau neighborhoods to warm you mitts and enjoy the many cultural activities on schedule. This three-day celebration culminates in a correfoc (fire run) to light the bonfires—don't miss out on the fire-roasted sausages that follow!
Updated January 9, 2023.