The Day of the Faldeta 💃🏻🌸. A festival of National Interest that also honors women
The Huesca town of Fraga is preparing to celebrate, on April 23, its traditional day of the Faldeta. A day of exaltation of popular culture, its roots and also a tribute that pays tribute to its roots and traditions! Especially a tribute to the figure of the fragatina woman.
Since 1977 the city of Fraga pays tribute to its history and traditions from the figure of women. The values, dedication and courage when facing life, made the fragatina woman worthy of a celebration that has become a Festival of National Tourist Interest, “La Faldeta”.
At present, and after more than forty years, the essence of the party is still intact; The figure of the “jaies”, the old grandmothers, sheathed in their sayas, jubones and shawls throughout their lives, is the visible part of this tribute. They knew how to combine respect for the tradition of their people like no one else and maintain the essence of the popular in their clothes, their hairstyle and their language until the beginning of the XXI century, when they continued to dress in a traditional way.
The recreation and dramatization of a fragatina wedding , following the uses and customs of the time, is the common thread of the party.
The Fragatine Wedding
As usual, the common thread of the Day of the Faldeta will be the recreation of the traditional fragatina wedding of the nineteenth century, in which the older peñeros will interpret the bride and groom. The recreation will begin at 8:00 in the morning by the Band of Bugles and Drums of Fraga, “Despertem al nòvio i a la nòvia“.
Afterwards, hundreds of frigates dressed in the typical costume, in its different versions, will parade from the Juan Carlos I Gardens until they reach the church of San Pedro, where the baturra mass will take place. In addition, they will tour the eleven prints scattered throughout the historic center of the city with the recreation of different traditional scenes.
These are the eleven prints and their location:
- 1st Print. “What a sarao” Interactive tavern of Peña Fragatina.
Place: Pista de Santa Quiteria. - 2nd Print. “Les firetes” Children’s activity.
Place: Paseo Barrón / Cegonyer. - 3rd Print. “Ha arribat lo retratista”
Place: Paseo Barrón / Cegonyer. - 4th Print. “Les fadrines Fragatines van de blanques”
Place: Zona C/ Parroquia. - 5th Print. “Encaixonem Figues”
Place: C/ Santo Domingo (Plaza Quatre Cantons) - 6th Print. “Estem de mondongo i fem canissos”
Place: Plaza Nueva - 7th Print. “Passant the delay”
Place: C/ San Sebastián - 8th Print. “Anem a estudi”
Place: C/ San Sebastián - 9th Print. “Venim a Vendre”
Place: St. Peter’s Square - 10th Print. “The Gigants of Fraga”
Place:. St. Peter’s Square - 11th Print. “Jocs pals xiquets i xiquetes ” Children’s activity. With bar area.
Place: St. Peter’s Square.
At 13.00 hours, the wedding procession will go from the Plaza de San Pedro to the area of La Pista in Santa Quiteria Street where a waltz will be danced in honor of the bride and groom and then the recreation of ‘Lo retrato dels novios’
will take place.
Then, at 6:00 p.m. one of the fundamental activities of the Day of the Faldeta will arrive with the HOMAGE TO LES DONES DE FALDETES. “50 ANYS RONDALLANT”. Theatrical performance by the Rondalla de Peña Fragatina.
Special Guided Tours
Guided tours “Faldeta Day”
During the morning of the ‘Day of La Faldeta’ commented visits will be offered to visit the main attractions of the party: the parade, the prints, the fragatina wedding, … a route accompanied by details, anecdotes and history of the traditions and customs of the city of Fraga and its inhabitants. These visits will begin at 10:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Introducing visitors to the center of this date’s activities.
- REGISTRATION AT HTTPS://RESERVAS.FRAGA.ORG OR BY CALLING 974 471 876
Fraga Guided Tour
To complete the day, in the afternoon, there will be two schedules for guided tours of some of the most important points of the city of Fraga: San Pedro Church, Montcada Palace, Lo Castell,… delving into the history, culture and heritage of Fraga. The duration of the route will be 90 minutes approx. and will start at 5:30 p.m. from the Tourist Office.
- REGISTRATION AT HTTPS://RESERVAS.FRAGA.ORG OR BY CALLING 974 471 876
Sources and Photographs: www.fraga.org , El Periodico de Aragón