Traginers Festival in Balsareny

The Traginers Festival has made Balsareny popular throughout Catalonia. Declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in 1970 and a Traditional Festival of National Interest in Catalonia in 1999, it has continued to improve each year. It is always celebrated on Sexagesima Sunday, the week before Carnival.

The muleteer, who transported goods from one place to another, played a very important role as an element of communication between often isolated populations, small merchants, news disseminator, etc.

In ancient times, each guild chose a patron saint to celebrate a festival and seek protection. Thus, all those who used animals as work tools seem to take refuge in Sant Antoni Abat, called "of the little pig" because this animal always appears at his side in iconography. The horseshoe animal was essential for the muleteers to carry out their work, as was the case for the peasants for the work in the fields. Both, when January 17th arrived, they would stop work and take their animals to be blessed after the mass celebrated in honour of the saint. In their case, dances, races or competitions were organised.

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