Cultural Activity

National Day of Catalonia 

When I first came to Barcelona, I heard about this celebration that took place on September 11th. From an American perspective, it was strange to hear that there was a festival on that day. In the the United States, whenever that date is brought up, it brings back haunting memories. Because I was here, I wanted to gain more knowledge about this festival. The first basic fact I learned was that it was the day of defeat of the Catalan troops. I knew I needed to gain more knowledge of this day because it seemed odd for people to have a celebration for a day of defeat. I learned that it was the day of defeat during the  War of Spanish Succession. The day is a celebration to honor those fallen soldiers and to celebrate the fighting spirit of the people, the never give up attitude. Also, is is a day to show your approval of Catalan independence. During September 11th, I chose to go around the Arc de Triomf to witness the festival. It was a pretty exhilarating experience. There were waves of numerous people and many of them had the Catalan Independence Flag draped on their back or waving it in the air. There was even a giant flag hanging from the Arc de Triomf. People were singing and chanting. There was also a big concert taking place. Many stands were set up selling Catalan Independence posters and clothing. People seemed very proud to be from Catalonia and were marching for independence. The day was a celebration of the Catalan' never back down spirit and a declaration of independence. It was very cool experience and reminded me of the Fourth of July in the United States because of the sense of pride everybody had. I was very glad I got the opportunity to experience something that is very important to a number of people in Catalonia.