Summer in Aragon is also written through its festivals. While the towns fill their squares and the cities prepare to receive visitors, four distinguished celebrations such as Festival of National Tourist Interest turn the months of July and August into a showcase of the culture, folklore and traditions of the community. The Pyrenees Folkloric Festival, the Festivities of San Lorenzo, the Cipotegato and the Day of the Typical Ansotano Costume are part of the small group of Aragonese celebrations that have this state recognition for their uniqueness and capacity to attract tourists.
Each one has its own identity. Some look at the world through music and dance, others keep intact rituals with centuries of history or vindicate the value of traditional clothing. All of them, however, have something in common: they are the reflection of a cultural heritage that is still alive thanks to the commitment of generations of neighbors.
THE FOLKLORE OF THE WORLD MEETS IN JACA
The first big event of the summer arrives, in odd-numbered years, with the Pyrenees Folklore Festival, which transforms Jaca into a meeting point between cultures. Founded in 1963 and declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in 1988, the event brings together groups of music and dance from the five continents, which fill the streets with parades, performances and shows for several days.
The festival, which is held at the end of July and beginning of August, has managed to consolidate itself as one of the most important international folklore meetings in Europe and a reference for those who seek to learn about popular traditions from different countries without leaving the Aragonese Pyrenees.
huesca dresses in white and green for san lorenzo
From 9 to 15 August, Huesca is experiencing its big week. The Fiestas de San Lorenzo, declared of National Tourist Interest in 2005, turn the capital of Alto Aragón into a scene of practically uninterrupted celebration.
Thousands of people, many of them dressed in traditional white clothing and green scarves, participate in a program that combines religious acts, concerts, children’s activities, troupes, parades and the intense activity of the peñas. The launch of the rocket from the balcony of the City Hall marks the official start of the festivities that every summer bring together visitors from all over España and that have become one of the most recognizable images of the Aragonese festive calendar.
EL CIPOTEGATO, THE MOST AWAITED TOMATO RAINING IN TARAZONA
On August 27, all eyes turn to Tarazona. At noon, a character dressed in a harlequin costume emerges from the City Hall and begins a race among a crowd that greets him by throwing thousands of tomatoes. It is the Cipotegato, the absolute protagonist of a tradition that marks the beginning of the city’s patron saint festivities.
The identity of the person who plays the character is kept secret until the moment of departure, one of the elements that contribute to keeping the expectation intact year after year. Although the origin of the tradition dates back several centuries, the Cipotegato continues to be one of the most unique celebrations on the Spanish festive scene and one of the most recognized images of summer in Aragon.
ANSÓ TURNS HIS STORY INTO A PARTY
The festive summer concludes in the Pyrenees with a celebration that pays tribute to the Aragonese ethnographic heritage. On the last Sunday of August, the residents of Ansó recover one of the best preserved traditional costumes in Spain during the Day of the Typical Ansotano Costume, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest.
The day, which began to be celebrated in 1971, turns the streets of the municipality into an open-air museum. The participants wear the different modalities of the Ansotano costume while recreating scenes of the daily life of yesteryear, accompanied by parades, popular representations, jota and traditional gastronomy. The objective is not only to show a historical clothing, but to preserve a way of understanding life that has been passed down from generation to generation.
FOUR WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING TRADITION
Although very different from each other, the four festivals share the same purpose: to preserve and disseminate the cultural heritage of Aragon. Jaca opens its doors to the world through folklore; Huesca is experiencing a week in which the city completely changes its rhythm; Tarazona keeps alive a unique tradition in Spain; and Ansó turns its history into the best showcase of its identity.
Four celebrations that, summer after summer, show that tourism also finds in traditions one of its greatest attractions and that the Aragonese cultural legacy continues to be one of the main attractions of the community.
