These are Palmónes. They look like sticks wrapped up with ribbon at first sight, but they are actually palm fronds – hence their name, which translates literally into “big palms”. They’re an Easter tradition here in Cataluña, and another one of the curiosities I need to add to my list of things I never saw in Madrid – like Cannelloni for Christmas and the Caganer (which I’ll get to in a minute as I cannot let that one go by without a mention).
It’s Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) today, so the Palmónes are having their day. In Madrid, the (mainly) old ladies will be carrying their more regular palm fronds, minus the elaborate ribbons, home from church to tie onto their balconies.
Here in Cataluña, the Palmónes are the ambit of the kids – specifically the boys. The girls carry smaller, intricately woven versions called Palmas. Traditionally, it’s the godparents who buy these, but I’m not sure how strictly that is being adhered to as at the Palmónes stalls just around the corner from home I saw what looked like Mums and Dads with their (excited) kids buying them together. I imagine the kids were more excited by the toys and sweets tied to them than any religious or traditional significances.
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| The intricately woven Palmas, for the girls |
These days they use all manner of ribbons on the Palmónes and Palmas – like the Barcelona Football Club ones in the pic at the top.
Traditionally though, the ribbons are in the design of the Catalan flag (red
and yellow stripes).
A further Palm Sunday tradition is the donning of new
clothes. If I’m honest, I can’t say whether this is the same in Madrid as I
never came across it there, but here the saying goes that if you don’t wear some new
clothes, your hands will fall off(!) Why exactly that is, I’ve not been able to
work out…
Now, for that quick note on the Caganer – perhaps the oddest tradition I’ve come across to date. This is a figurine
of someone... er... pooing. I’m serious; Cagar
in Catalan means to have a poo. It’s not for Easter, but Christmas and you’re
meant to pop one in a discrete corner of your nativity scene.
Traditionally they are classic Catalan peasant figures
wearing a little red cap, but these days you will find all manner of characters –
I’ve seen Bart Simpson, C3P0, Superman, Barack Obama, the list goes on – and
all of them are squatting down and having a poo (with pile of poo included!).
The true meaning of the Caganer is a
bit lost, but many people say it has to do with fertilising the ground to bring
prosperity for the year ahead. Whatever the reason, it’s a very curios
Christmas tradition…
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| A traditional Caganer, pile of poo and all. Photo by Mtiedemann |
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