Tradition and Fun this month

JANUARY

Typical traditions of all the villages

• New year

New Year's Eve is the last day of the year, on 31st of December, date which is usually celebrated with a big party with fireworks and meeting friends.

In Spain, people usually celebrate this party eating 12 grapes (one for each stroke of the changing year) or instead, 12 olives or mandarin segments.

In the last years, it has become common a dancing held for children and elderly.

Girls wear red underwear. As a Catalan tradition , on this day the “man of noses”comes to visit children (L'home dels nassos)

• Nativity Scene

It is the representation of Jesus birth in Betlem. It is a cultural manifestation which has become intangible heritage,it is a classic project of international participation, it is an actual reference of the theatrical Catalan tradition that comes from the mysteries and genuine forms about the medieval hagiographic theatre in Catalonia.

• Three wise men parade

Three Wise Men parade: is a parade of carriages typical in  different cities and towns, where the three Wise Men, who are Melcior, Gaspar and Baltasar give sweets and presents to the children. This is an important day for the children because they are looking forward to it. 

• The three wise men cake (tortell de reis)

It is a Christmas Ring traditional in Christmas time where inside it there is a little king figure,  if you get it in your piece then you win the crown and if you get the bean you have to pay the cake next year.

Specific traditions from the village in festivals: 
El Perelló

• Saint Antoni: the patron from El Perelló

Saint Antoni’s festivity is on 17^th of January. He is the patron of the animals, because the story says that he loved them and whenever he saw an injured animal, he healed it. He is often figured with a pig, because the story says that he healed it, and it followed him everywhere thanks to his help.

• Calmant Party

The calmant is a typical drinking from El Perelló elaborated with rom, coffee and sugar. For the village’s festivals, El Perelló organizes a competition of calmant, and after this, they drink the calmant in the Casal of the Centre d’Esports. They also drink calmant in “la Darrera” together with the coca.

• "La Darrera"

La Darrera is a traditional event from El Perelló. It takes place in the Church Square some nights of the village’s festivals. There is an auction of a coca, and in the square there are people dancing, because this auction is accompanied by music. The man who auctions the coca, gives slices of coca for the assistants, and next to the church there are some men from the town hall to give calmant. All the years the coca is sold for hundreds of Euros.

FEBRUARY

Typical traditions of all the villages

• History of Carnival

Carnival was originally a period of days to break the rules of the Christian religion. It was a party week before Lent, a period of forty days before Easter, where, for example, you can’t eat meat. The last day of carnival is “Dimecres de cendra” (Ash Wednesday), where people burn a sardine who represents the king of Carnival, the guilty of all this disorder week.

• The day of Carnestoltes (carnival)

In February there’s a very famous festivity. It’s the big party for the children and the adults, and it’s full of laughs and different fancy disguises.

There is a parade around the streets where the different groups of people show their disguises and have lot of fun.

The party finishes at night, in a dance in the Sports Centre. People have dinner there and dance, and it’s very fun because some people are disguised.

This night they also choose the Heiress for that year festivals, in a draw.

•  "Dijous llarder"

Traditionally, Dijous Llarder was the first day of carnival, but today in many towns the party has expanded a number of days of celebration. It is a tradition to eat sausage egg and white sausage or black sausage on this day, and also an omelette sandwich.

It is also a custom to eat sausage omelette. At breakfast time , as a dessert or for snack, in the carnivals it is eaten “coca de llardons” . It is celebrated on 29^th January and 4^th February.

•  Sardine funeral 

Sardine funeral is one event that means the ending of carnival and start of Lent.

This event also means the ending of one time of celebrations and start of one time of penitence.

The sardine funeral isn't on a specific date. Every year it is on a different day, it depends on the lent day.

In the past the sardine funeral was highly and rigorous but now people don't celebrate it.

The name comes from the tradition in the past of the guild of shoemakers in Madrid over there in the sixteenth century. These men said that every day they used to do a little break at about 11am to have a snack tofill up the stomach until the lunch time. In this occasion the cooker served one toasted bread with sardines and also one glass of wine. When the lent time arrived , the men buried a sardine near the Mazanares and also basted it with Valdepeñas wine.

After the buried they drank wine of the boot.

• The Lent

Lent is a period of forty days before Easter, indicates the calendar to prepare the Easter. It begins in Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.

The porpoise of Lent is to establish a period of reflection and penance in which Christians have time to prepare the Easter. Traditionally also practiced fasting and abstinence.

The seven legs of the Lent mean the seven weeks that lasts the Lent.

• Sant Valentine's day

St. Valentine is on 14^th of February. This day, in many countries, all the couples of lovers celebrate the day of the lovers demonstrating their love to their pair with romantic presents, like flowers, chocolates and love cards.

Many countries consider that the day of the lovers is celebrated on this date, because it is the day when the birds paired, but there is also the legend that Saint Valentine had married pairs in secret after the prohibition of the wedding. It is also considered that this day Cupido is in the air throwing love arrows for people.

Specific traditions from the villages in festivals: 
L'Ametlla de Mar

• La Candelera

On 2nd of February, is the Candelera day. A midway between start and end of winter, after 40 days winter solstice it is a special moment in the annual calendar. From the natural standpoint, meteorologically speaking, which is considered as the second phase of the moon, you can get to know what the weather is like.

During festive events takeplace these days as the entry of flowering branches and the dances and parties of the Bear, the mythical animal that leaves the night falls to see if winter should continue or not .

From the standpoint of Christian liturgy, the Candelera is a party, 40 days after Christmas, the presentation of Jesus in the temple of Jesusalem and the purification of his mother, Mary, a mandatory ritual in the Jewish tradition based on the supply and blessing of wax candles are celebrated.

The “jueva” tradition marks this day as the day of dismantling the nativity scene and so ,it is considered the end of the Christmas cycle.

Jesús

• The fira de l'oli

The fira de l'oli by Terres de l'Ebre is organized in Jesús, a town that has an especial administrative regime with respect to which the municipality is attached, Decentralized from the Municipal entity.

During the days of the fair , we can buy oil of these lands (which is very good) and products from the land and the participation in some tastings . Also the allioli competition is organised ( the winner is nominated teacher of allioli and he or she joins La Confraria del Morter), a gastronomic sample in which the oil is the true protagonist.

MARCH

    

                     Typical traditions of all the villages

• Saint Josep day

The 19th of March isn’t a holiday, but we celebrate Father’s day. 

It is an ancient festival, similar to Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday in May.

According to Christianity, Joseph is Jesus' adoptive father.

In Catalonia it is a tradition to eat Catalan cream, also called Saint Josep cream. It is also a tradition to congratulate people that are called “Josep” or ”Josepa” and give them some presents, such as a card or a special lunch.

APRIL

Typical traditions of all the villages

• Easter

Easter is the story of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his death.The Easter story includes Maundy Thursday (the last lunch), Holy Friday (Jesus was crucified) and Easter Day (Jesus came back to life).

It is a sad story because Jesus was killed. But the story has a very happy ending, because Jesus came back to life, but went back up to Heaven to be with God, his father. 

Why does the date of Easter move?

Easter is called a moveable feast because the date of Easter changes every year.

The reason for this variation in the date of Easter is based on the lunar calendar (moon) rather than our more well-known solar one.

Easter always falls on the first Sunday following the full Moon (the Paschal Full Moon) after 21 March.

How do Spanish people celebrate it?

In Spain the people celebrate Easter (here is called Pasqua) going to their mountains and to the processions. We also eat "mones" on Easter Day, and some families cook them.

How do English people celebrate it?

Easter weekend is a favourite time for children in Britain, like in many countries around the world, as Sunday, Easter Day, will be the day when they will receive many chocolate eggs to eat.
For Christians the custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life.

The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. We still paint bird eggs today but usually only chicken eggs.

In England in Easter the Easter eggs are typical and are the symbol of this celebration.

The period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and finishes on  Palm Sunday. The last day of Ash Wednesday, is celebrated in the Pancake’s Day which is the last day for eating a nutritive food before the Lent.

During the Lent it isn’t correct eating chocolate eggs or meat and on Friday is frequent cooking fish soup.

The most important day is the Resurrection Sunday which is at the same time the first day of spring. The food of this day is the most important one and it is served roast meat and simnel Cakes (fruit cakes with Marzipan confections who symbolize the apostles).

During the Easter the streets are invaded by Easter rabbits symbolizing the fertility and they are loaded with sacks full of candy and sweets for children.

In  all the city there are chocolate eggs. In these days much chocolate is sold. And there are games with the chocolate eggs.

During the Easter in England all is related with chocolate.
Easter Days

• Palm Sunday.

This is the first Sunday at Easter, which is a week before Easter Sunday, and commemorates the day when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. People received him with olive tree’s branches and palms, so nowadays people goes to the church with palms (often decorated) for the priest blesses them.  

 

• Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday is the special day of Easter week. This day is the fraternity day because we remember the last dinner of Christ with his twelve disciples. And in his dinner God  washed the feet of his disciples.
Also this day is the end of lent. Normally it’s celebrated between 19th of March and 22th of April, according to the equinox and to the phases of the moon.
In the past, this day the people couldn’t go out of their houses, also they didn’t eat  in practice and the bells didn’t mark the hours, as a show of respect
Now in some villages people celebrate the silence processions and death dances.

• Good Friday

In the Christian calendar, Good Friday is the Friday before the day of Easter and Commemorates Christ's death on the cross. This time you eat fish because you can’t eat meat. This day is occur more processions such as the Procession of the Three Graces of Reus and Tarragona Holy Burial Procession, traditional festival declared of national interest by the Government of Catalonia.

• Easter Sunday

On this day people celebrate the Resurrection Easter (the resurrection of Jesucrist three days after he died on the cross.)

Easter is the most important festival for the Christians.

Easter Sunday represents the Easter week, a week with celebrations about the last days for Jesucrist.

On Easter day the godparents give a “Mona de pasqua”( a typical cake form our land) to their godchildren. The next day, the Easter Monday, people eat the “Mona de pasqua”.

In the Easter are typically the “cants de les caramelles” too.

• Easter Monday

Easter Monday is the day after the day of Easter (Easter Sunday) when it is typical to eat the mones in some place, like a mountain, the beach, a camping...

This day is holiday in a lot of countries, such as Spain, Germany, Canada, Ireland...

• Sant Jordi

The story says that in a small village in Catalonia, Montblanc, there lived a dragon, which first ate the sheep and the animals of the people, and then, he began to eat the people in the village. They decided to choose in a draw who was going to be the next dragon’s lunch, and one day, the bad luck was for the princess, the king’s only daughter. He didn’t want her to go anyway, but she was very brave and kind, and she thought that she wasn’t different, so she went to find the dragon on its cave.

When the dragon was ready to eat her, there appeared a brave knight called Jordi, who heard about that. He fought against the dragon and finally killed it.

From the dragon’s blood, there grew a precious red rose, and St. Jordi gave it to the princess as a symbol of his love for her.

Saint Jordi is the patron of Catalonia, and we celebrate his festivity on the 23^rd of April. The tradition says that men must give a red rose to women.

This day is also the book’s day, because it commemorates Shakespeare and Cervantes death, and women usually give a book to men, but the books can be for everybody, of course.

Saint George in England

St. George is the patron saint of England and Scouting. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

By tradition, 23 April is the day for a red rose in the button hole, the national flower. But for most people in England St George's Day is just another ordinary working day.

Specific traditions from the villages:

El Perelló

• Firabril

In April Perelló celebrates the Firabril (April Fair), the fair of honey and oil. This is a fair dating from the seventeenth century and despite being clearly an agricultural fair in its origins, in recent years it has become one of the most important fairs in Terres de l'Ebre which promote services, shops and typical products of the town, becoming the core of economic and cultural development of our population.

The show revolves around oil and honey, presenting the different varieties and their derivatives. The oil is widely recognized for its quality. As for honey, Perelló is the first honey producer in Catalonia; in many companies is a family tradition that has evolved to become known companies in the food sector in Catalonia.

In this fair they also do a contest. One of the winners carries his weight in oil and the other in honey.

Tortosa

• Expoebre

It is the most important fair is the south of Catalonia. Since the year it was  celebrated  for the first time it is been on  in the neighbourhood of Remolins there are 5000 square metres silverwares.
This year, the Expoebre will be celebrated from 28th of April to the 1st of May. In this way, Fair of Tortosa wants to step forward to do more attractive the fair, so much for the exhibitors as for the visitors.

L'Aldea

• VIII Fira de l'arròs i el comerç

It starts on Friday 13th April, and goes on on Saturday 14th and ends on Sunday 15th April.

This fair is of leisure and rice trade, where most restaurants around the village make a special menu. All the shops put everything that they have in small samples to do some publicity. They also do activities and games that children of all ages can have fun too.

La Galera

• Clay fair

One year more the village of La Galera becomes a meeting point of “terrissaires i ceramistes”(people who work with clay) of Catalonia, Spain and other places of the world to show the news of the traditional ceramics and clay.

The fair activity makes one change with cultures and traditions which promote and show our fields.

The fair is located in the Galera's center, in the principal four streets.

TIME TABLE From 10.00 a.m to 13.30 p.m From 16.00 p.m to 21.00 p.m

The activities of the fireless days:

·Demonstrations from the different people of Alfara and ceramistes.

·Workshop (his name is Enfangat a la fira)

·There are some guests form other countries to collaborate with the fair, Murcia and Marroc.

·Activities, talks and conferences about clay.

·The presentation of a commemorative piece. The name of the piece is “Canteret d'aigua de Miravet”.This piece was created by Mr. Emili Treig Adell.

· And other complementary activities are located in the Terracota Museum.

Ulldecona

• Passion

 

The passion is a drama representation about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

It is a cultural entity, formed by 180 people that they have  as an  objective  to continue the Catalan cultural tradition. This entity was born in 1955 and his founder was Mª Rafí i Poblet.

MAY

Typical traditions of all the villages

• Mother's Day

It's a celebration that in Spain is celebrated on the first Sunday of May in honor to all the mothers . But in other countries it is celebrated on different dates of the year depending on the country.

This day was created by Julia Ward Howe in 1870.

• International Workers' Day

The International Workers’ Day is on the 1^st of May. It’s the day of the claiming fight and homage to martyrs of Chicago because they were executed to fight for the 8 hours working day on 1^st of May of 1886.

Now it’s a claiming festival of the human rights in general sense, and it’s celebrated in a lot of countries.

Specific traditions from the villages:
Alcanar

• Saint Isidre festivals

These festivals are celebrated during the month of May in honour to Saint Isidre, patron of farmers. Saint Isidre Day is on 15^th of May, but as it is Alcanar’s patron, they celebrate it during a whole week: since 12^th to 20^th of May.

The town hall from Alcanar organizes a lot of events, such as music festivals, processions, liturgical acts, shows and attractions, planted of giants, concerts, races, dance, theatre, literary presentations... The most famous event is the correbous, which has evolved and improved with over time.

Deltebre

• Segregació festival

This is to commemorate the days when Deltebre became an independent village. Before the 20^th of May of 1977, Deltebre belonged to Tortosa. So now, after 35 years, people commemorate it with a festivals that last three days (this year, 18^th, 19^th and 20^th of May, because it is on Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

At first it was celebrated with the Deltafira, a fair with all the village’s shops and businesses, and now it is called Segregació festival.

L'Ampolla

• Ironcat

Since 2004, the Federació Catalana de Triathlon organizes, with Exquíssim and Ajuntament de l’Ampolla, the athletic test of triathlon called IRONCAT, in the modality of large distance. It is made up of three different tests:

•    Swimming: 3,8 km
•    Cycling: 180 km
•    Running: 42,2 km

IRONCAT begins at 7:00 in the morning and it can finish at about 22:00 at night.

People in l’Ampolla can be volunteers and help the athletes.

• Diada de l’ostra del delta: (The day of Delta oyster)

It is celebrated in May, this year on the 6th. This day there’s a big party in the fishing harbour
zone. Everybody can go and taste this special oyster that grows here, in the Delta of Ebre.
There will be 2.500kg of oysters and people will be able to taste several ways to cook oysters.

• Jornades gastronòmiques: (Gastronomic days)

This year it is celebrated from the 5th to the 20th of May.

During these days the village’s restaurants offer a special menu that includes typical products
from the Delta of Ebre. There are also many activities related in gastronomy.

Camarles

• Cultural Week

Camarles every year celebrates a cultural week around April. This year it’s from 21^st to 28^th of April. In this week Camarles does some events, such as Tres Tombs, popular meals, selling of roses and books, conferences, musical concerts, storytellers to children, painting, photography and literary competitions...

Roquetes

• International Games Day

On 20th of May, during all the afternoon, Roquetes makes a party where people of all the ages can play a lot of games from the world. They will give a game and an ice-cream to all the assistants.

Benifallet

• Meravelles Caves Party

On 1^st of May, Benifallet does a Meravelles Caves Party. It consists of an offering to Meravelles Caves, where later there will be a popular lunch for all the people, accompanied by xaranga music to make funnier the party.

L'Aldea

• Ermita Festivities

It is the festivity of Our Virgin of The Village. They are from 26th to 28th of May. There are meetings of catechesis from other parishes.

There are small parties  that are made ​​on behalf of the mother of God, where they sell things and games for children, they are similar to the main festivals but these  last  only a short time, and they are more religious.

JUNE

• Corpus

Corpus is a traditional Christian party when villages make carpets in the street with flowers, coloured rice chaff, coloured salt, stones...

This festival is the worshiping of the Eucharist and every year it’s a different date because it is celebrated on the Thursday after the eighth Pentecost, but in villages it’s celebrated on Saturday or Sunday of this week.

This day, apart from the carpets, we do a procession around the village with candles.

• Sant Joan (Saint John)

Saint Joan's Eve is on the 23^rd of June (the day before Saint Joan)

During Saint Joan's Eve a dinner with friends and family is celebrated and then people, especially children, throw fireworks on the sky.

There are a lot of types of fireworks: small for the children, an enormous fireworks that made pictures on the sky when someone throws them...

There are two hypotheses about the origins of this celebration:

• Some people think of a pagan origin as a resurrection of the festivities for the summer solstice.
• Others think of a teasing or mocking origin, because this is the night that is more away from Christmas, and therefore, it should be most cursed by the devil in the year.

People burn old furniture and the guys often jump above it. 

Specific traditions from the villages:
L'Ampolla

• Saint John's Festivals

The festivals of L’Ampolla  from 19th to 25th of June, is a town  that is near  the sea and the  typical  activities  that  are made  are  the ‘bulls in the  sea’ :

The square  is situatd at the  port,   the majority of  the days of the festivlas , the bulls can fall into the sea with people, still this is dangerous . Some days  they do ‘correbous’  from, the bullring to the  fishing harbour. 

• Torneig 24h de Fútbol Sala Sant Joan.

It is a championship of indoor football, where different teams of the Terres de l’Ebre gather to play and achieve a prize.

The prizes are economic and they also give a trophy for the first, the second and the third teams.
This championship was created by the Association Jordi Pitarque Ceprià.

• Torneig Handbol Platja l'Ampolla.

Beach handball is a modality of handball practiced on the beach. Its rules are similar to the normal handball’s; the only difference is that instead of bounce the ball, you have to touch the ground with it. The balls are softer. This year is the second championship. 

Lligallos

• Sant Joan Festivals

On Saint Joan, during these week days, els Lligallos celebrate their festivals, because Saint Joan is their patron.

In these days, the inhabitants go to the bullring, make popular meals, night dances, processions...  and for young people in all Delta de l’Ebre, there is a very especial night called “the Memories” with local deejays.

 Different villages

• La Cursa del Llop

On 2^nd and 3^rd of June is celebrated La Cursa del Llop (the race of the wolf) around some villages from Delta de l’Ebre. It consists of stages where the participants make different sports:  they cycle in Tortosa 182 or 122 km (depending of the tour), they run 32km from the river to the mountain, they make a sea kayak voyage from l’Ampolla to Riumar (16km), they make a river kayak voyage from Deltebre to Tortosa (24,6km), they run a half marathon climbing the Caro (21km) and finally, they cross the Port by bicycle (110km/83km).

Sant Carles de la Ràpita

• Trip to the “Foradada” in full Moon.

It is on the 6th of June.

The Foradada is a mountain the name of which comes from a natural bridge that is near it.

 It is holed and it is in the mountain range called Montsià.

This trip is a traditional walk of 8km that people do in a full Moon night. You’ll need a bag,

mountain comfortable shoes and a torch.

Ulldecona

• Els Valentins Festivals

Els Valentins is a suburb from Ulldecona, but from 10^th to 14^th of June, they celebrate its festivals. During these days they make dance nights, bulls, masses, and some game competitions.

Benifallet

• Firebre

Since 2006, Benifallet makes a tourism, river navigation and adventure fair every year around the 2^nd week of June. This year, it will be on 15^th, 16^th and 17^th of June.

The fair wants to impulse the big activity variety that the Ebre River offers us, and shows the tourist delights that Benifallet has got. It’s a fair with a lot of stalls to inform us about different entities and companies which are dedicated to this area.

There is also a popular lunch between other activities.

Roquetes

•  Popular dinner in l'Hort de Cruells

On 23rd a popular dinner  is celebrated in L'Hort de cruells. It's made because on this day  is Saint Joan, summer solstice and the fire.

Deltebre

• Party of the planting

It is celebrated in Deltebre, on the 10th of June. It revives the traditional rice planting, using the tools and the methods that were used in the past. During the day, there will take place many traditional activities, a performance, a mass, and when it finishes there will be a procession with the children that have done the first communion this year.

Paüls

• Cherry Party

Between the end of May and the beginning of June Paüls celebrates the Cherry Party to show the exquisiteness that this product has got, the appropriate climatic conditions and the work of the people who cultivate it. This year it’s on 2^nd and 3^rd of June.

In this party you can taste cherries, cakes, liquors, marmalade, oils, almonds... and you can also attend to presentations of books related with nature and plants, demonstrations of craft works, expositions of a lot of things, popular meals, night dances...

Ametlla de Mar

• Day of "fideus rossejats" and blue fish

Day of “fideus rossejats” and blue fish is on 17. 6. 12.

People will be able to taste the typical “rossejats” noodles (made in a pan with seafood and

fish broth), blue fish, and also wines made here. There will be nautical activities.

• Saint Pere

On June 29th, St. Peter, patron saint of fishermen. The statue of the patron goes "on board" and a vessel is chosen and people perform various exhibitions and competitions.

JULY

Specific traditions from the villages:
Tortosa 

• El Renaixement (The Renaissance)

The second two weeks of July Tortosa celebrate the Renaixement party with the subtitle l'esplendor d'una ciutat al segle XVI, (The brilliance of a city in XVI century.), the festival recalls, across a wide range of activities about intelligent and cultural in nature, the history period about XVI century, one of the most interesting moments in the existence of our city.

As a consequence about the legacy heritage, artistic and cultural of XVI century, every year we can move to a world of smells, tastes and customs now disappeared. The old center becomes, noblest buildings and centenarian walls are decorated while population deal the taverns ,they prepare the workers and they also prepare their dresses of that period .

Camarles

• Sant Jaume

Camarles celebrates its festivals in honour to Sant Jaume during a week.
Sant Jaume the patron of Camarles is celebrated on the 25^th of July. It consist of a profession along the streets that people accompanies the Saint ,decorated with flowers, with the children of communion and the heiresses of the year, the band of Camarles plays music too. After that a mass takes place in honor of the patron. To end the celebration people throw fireworks on the sky.
During this week they also celebrate it with dances, going to the bull ring, some parties...

   Ampolla

• Virgin of the Carme

In l’Ampolla, on the 16th of July it is celebrated the festivity of the Virgin of the Carme, the patron of fishermen. There is a special procession where people go into the sea with fishing or particular boats. They throw fireworks, and it is very special to see it from the beach, because there are a lot of boats and colourful lights in the twilight sky, in the sea. When it gets darker, after more than half an hour, the boats begin to go into the fishing harbour, and when the boat that carries the Virgin arrives to the ground, there begins a huge fireworks castle that lasts many minutes.

• Soccer in the beach

The matches are celebrated from 6th to 8th of July.

These games are celebrated every year in festivals of Ampolla. This year is the 15^th edition. This year the organization is a bit different. There will be only one field and there will be some different teams.

The winner team obtains an economic prize and a trophy. 

•    Volley on the beach

Beach volley is a modality of volley practiced on the beach. Its rules are similar to the normal volley’s.  This year is the eighth championship.

It is celebrated on the 28^th and 29^th of July in l’Ampolla.

• Tennis on the beach

It is on the 14th of July.

Beach tennis is played on a surface of sand with some measures the pitch of 16 by 8 meters  with a network of 1.70 m tall dividing the field into two parts with a special racquet, like the beach and paddle blades.

Sant Jaume

•  Saint James' Festivals

As the village name says, Sant Jaume celebrates its festivals in honour to Saint James. The “sant jaumeros” celebrate it going to the bull ring, the night dances and a lot of other traditional events.

Sant Carles de la Ràpita

•  Saint James' Festivals

During the week around Saint James, Sant Carles de la Ràpita celebrates its festivals because
he is its patron.

Santa Bàrbara

•  Saint Sebastian's Festivals

Santa Barbara celebrates its festivals during the second week of July in honour to Saint
Sebastian. During this week the inhabitants go to traditional events in the village and they
make an offering to Saint Isidre, patron of the peasants.

Jesús

• Festivals

From 6th to 14th of July Jesus celebrates its festivals. During this week they make some parades, popular meals, music concerts, foam parties...

Xerta

• Saint James' Festivals

Saint James’ festivals are the summer festivals in Xerta. Some of the most traditional events are the heifers in the street and the popular paella next to the river.

L'Aldea

• Mulla't (soak yourself)

On the 15th of July, l’Aldea is going to participate in the solidarity project of Mulla’t (soak yourself) for the multiple sclerosis. There will be a party at the village’s pool with many activities from 11:00 until 13:00, and it will be free.

Amposta

• Party of the Mussel

Its objective is to promote our products, such as the Ebre mussel, and to show the people when does its picking up begins. It is celebrated at the river avenue, and it will be accompanied by a “xaranga”. There will be a tasting paying 2€.

It is celebrated in Amposta on the 1^st of July.

L'Ametlla de mar 

•     VII Latin sail meeting

The Latin sail is a type of a sail that is triangular, designed to sail against the wind.

This party is celebrated to remember the old traditions because our ancestors went fishing with this type of ships. It is celebrated on 7^th July in l’Ametlla de Mar.

Different villages

•  Bouesia

The Bouesia is a poetic walk in the streets. Some villages in our land such as Amposta, Deltebre and Vandellòs have celebreted this activity since some years.

AUGUST

Specific traditions from the villages:
Deltebre

• La Cava's Festivals

From 15^th to 21^st la Cava, a little suburb from Deltebre, celebrates its festivals. These are in honour to Saint Roc. During this week they make bullrings and its bou capllaçat is very popular because they meet themselves in the street with cars, motorcycles... to go to the point where the bou capllaçat starts, and later, they go to the beach to eat and drink.

L'Ampolla

• La Nit Màgica (The Magic Night)

This is a night where the minds of everybody can fly over the stars and all the dreams come true. During this night there take place many performances along the “Avinguda Marítima” and l’Ampolla’s fishing harbour. These performances can be about many things: acrobatics, dances, music, statues, fire... Children enjoy this night, because this is a Magic Night.

•  Cinema sota les estrelles (Cinema under the stars)

During August l’Ampolla makes “cinema sota les estrelles”(cinema under the stars).
They project some films at the weekend nights and all the people can see these films freely because they project them next to the fishing port without any barriers.

El Perelló

• Summer Festivals

The summer festivals are celebrated on 14th and 15th of August on Santa Llúcia beach. On the first day there takes place the eve, with a dinner and music next to the beach. During the 15th there are different activities, an infantile park, the foam party, the roasting of sardines, havaneres... At night, to close the festivity, there is a fireworks castle on the coast.

Camarles

•   Cinema a la fresca (Outdoor cinema)

The Camarles’ Town Hall projects some films in the market square from Camarles and in the church square from Lligallo. They project around 4 or 5 films during this month to make the summer nights funnier. People can see all these films freely.

• Gastronomic day of the black pudding

It is organized by the trade and tourism department of  Camarles town hall and it’s celebrated on the last weekend of August.
It’s a gastronomic day to promote the wide variety of types to eat the black pudding of rice, because it can be accompanied by many several kinds of food: you can eat it with egg and tomato, in an omelette, with rice, in a pizza, in cannelloni or lasagne...
The tasting is made in the Camarles’ tower and it’s enlivened with Havaneres and burned rum.

Festivals on August of different villages:

Montsià 

• Masdenverge:

The festivals in Masdenverge are celebrated from 29^th July to 7^th of August.

Masdenverge celebrates the day of the patroness on the 2^nd of August in honour the Verge del Roser.

• Godall:

The festivals of Godall are celebrated from 4^th to 10^th of August.

Godall celebrates the patrons day on the 6^th of August to honour Sant Salvadó.

• Freginals:

The festivals of Freginals are celebrated from 21^th to 28^th of August.

Freginals celebrates the patrons day to honour Sant Bartomeu on the 24^th of August.

• La Galera:

The festivals of la Galera are celebrated from 9^th to 14^th of August.

La Galera celebrates the patrons day on the 10^th of August to honour Sant llorenç.

• Amposta:

The festivals of Amposta are celebrated from 12^th to 21^th of August

Amposta celebrates the patroness day on the 15^th and 16^th of August to honour the Verge de l'Assumpció.

• Sènia:

The festivals of la Sènia are celebrated from 20^th to 28^th of August.

La Sènia celebrates the patrons day on the 24^th of August to honour Sant Bartomeu.

Baix Ebre

• Alfara de Carles:

The festivals of Alfara de Carles are from 24^th to 30^th of August

Alfara de Carles celebrates the patrons day on the 28^th of August to honour Sant Agustí.

• l'Aldea

The festivals of l'Aldea are from 12^th to 21 ^nd of August.

L'Aldea celebrates the patroness day on the 15^th of August to honour the Mare de Déu de l'Aldea.

• Deltebre

The festivals of Deltebre are from 11^th to 21^nd of August.

Deltebre celebrates the patroness day on the 15^th of August in honour the verge de l'Assumpció.

• Paüls

The festivals of Paüls are from 14^th to 19^th of August.

Paüls celebrates the patrons day on the 16^th of August to honour Sant Roc.

SEPTEMBER

Festivals on September of different villages:

• Tortosa:

From 1^st to 5^th of September.

The capital of Baix Ebre celebrates its festivals in honour to the virgin de la Cinta.

• Aldover:

From 2^nd to 10^th of September.

The music,the bulls and the popular dishes are some of the highlights of the festivals. The patroness is Natividat.

• Benifallet:

from 7^th to 11^th of September.

Benifallet celebrates its festivals with five days of championships orchestra dances exhibition and activities for everyone . The patroness of this country is Nativitat.

• Tivenys:

From 24^th to 25^th of September. And 29^th to 1^st of October.

The patron of this village is Sant Miquel.

Specific traditions from the villages:
Alfara de Carles

• Saint Michael Fair

In September, Alfara de Carles celebrates La Fira de Sant Miquel (Saint Michael Fair), a fair where they exhibit beef cattle and they release the bulls along the streets of the town. They also make a popular dinner with an orchestra and other theatre performances or thematic exhibitions.

 L'Ampolla

• Gastronomic days of the rice

From 16th to 30th of September.
As the oyster ones, these gastronomic days are full of different activities related to the rice world. All the restaurants of the village offer a special menu with rice as the main ingredient.
Even the most famous food made with rice is the paella, it isn’t boring anyway: you can eat paellas made with many several products: with fish, with meat or both things; with vegetables; made only with tasty fish broth; with “baldana” (black pudding, which is also made with rice); with lobster... 

• Celebration of the harvest

In the past the harvest was the most laborious activity in the rice fields. This activity started in August with the first rice and it ended when they could .It depended on the weather, the difficulties and the number of people available

They worked with animals(especially with horses) or also they worked with their hands.

At the harvest moment the Mediterranean people moved to the Delta to collect the harvest, because in our zone there was a lot of work.

 

Now people work with machines (tractors and reapers) and to remember as people harvested in the past we do a harvest mock.

Mariana Arias, Anna Cabrera, Júlia Colomines,
Nerea Favà,  Pili Forcadell, Laura Llaó  
 i Gemma Méndez