La Patum: the party that doesn’t forget its medieval roots

There is always an excuse for a party in Catalonia. But some celebrations in the country date back centuries, and still manage to maintain their roots. Such is the case for La Patum, which hails all the way back to medieval times. And this year’s edition is already in full swing. So what can be expected for the uninitiated?

For foreigners, La Patum is not your typical festival. But, as far as festivities go, it doesn’t get much more Catalan than this. For a few days the town of Berga, in northern Catalonia, is transformed by fire, giants dancing, and traditional music. Not much has changed in hundreds of years. This year, however, saw some timely twists to the old school party.

The town launched a campaign against sexist violence, using La Patum as its springboard, by setting up an information and support office for possible victims. Throughout La Patum, it aims to educate people on a number of topics to do with gender violence and sexism, with the aim of “creating a non-sexist culture of fun at night.”

On its first day, the office attended to 171 people. But sexist violence was not the only thing on the agenda. La Patum kicked off the party with a call for the freedom of Catalan leaders in jail or abroad. The town square filled with banners, and all things yellow, the colour of solidarity with pro-independence leaders investigated by the Spanish judiciary.

But politics aside, at the end of the day, La Patum is another good reason to party like they did in 1499. Its origins are even recognized by UNESCO as an Oral and Intangible World Heritage that dates back to theatrical perfomances of medieval times.

At noon, the festival tends to be more solemn and reserved, more in tune with its religious roots in the celebration of Corpus Cristi. But at night, the town turns wild with everybody getting involved.

And La Patum is not over yet, there is still the big climax to come on Sunday. Fire devils will fill Berga’s main square, turning it into a depiction of hell without the brimstone. Don’t worry, though, these devils don’t bite, they’re just part of the celebrations.