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What are the solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees?
Find out more about the festivals by answering these questions!
What are the solstice fire festivals?
They are ancient festivals that are celebrated in the Pyrenees.
When are they celebrated?
At the winter or summer solstices, that is to say, the longest and the shortest nights of the year.
What happens at the festivals?
Torches and tall tree trunks are burnt in various villages.
What are they called?
The smaller ones are called falles (in Catalan) and halhas (in Occitan). The larger ones are called falla major (in Catalan), har, haro or taro (in Occitan), and brandon (in French).
What is the reason for these festivities?
They celebrate the change of the seasons.
Where are the festivals celebrated?
Andorra The Aran Valley, Aragon, and Catalonia in Spain. Occitania in France.
Since when have they been UNESCO festivals?
Since December 2015.
What does that mean?
They are on a famous list about festivals and traditions.
What is done with the burning torches?
People carry them down from the mountains to the villages, or they are swung around in circles.
Where are the tree trunks burnt?
In the village square or another important place.
What is done after the torches have been burnt?
People get together to eat, drink, and dance.
How do children participate?
They make smaller torches or they whirl balls made of different colored lights.
What are the solstice fire festivals?
They are ancient festivals that are celebrated in the Pyrenees.
When are they celebrated?
At the winter or summer solstices, that is to say, the longest and the shortest nights of the year.
What happens at the festivals?
Torches and tall tree trunks are burnt in various villages.
What are they called?
The smaller ones are called falles (in Catalan) and halhas (in Occitan). The larger ones are called falla major (in Catalan), har, haro or taro (in Occitan), and brandon (in French).
What is the reason for these festivities?
They celebrate the change of the seasons.
Where are the festivals celebrated?
Andorra The Aran Valley, Aragon, and Catalonia in Spain. Occitania in France.
Since when have they been UNESCO festivals?
Since December 2015.
What does that mean?
They are on a famous list about festivals and traditions.
What is done with the burning torches?
People carry them down from the mountains to the villages, or they are swung around in circles.
Where are the tree trunks burnt?
In the village square or another important place.
What is done after the torches have been burnt?
People get together to eat, drink, and dance.
How do children participate?
They make smaller torches or they whirl balls made of different colored lights.