The tradition of caramelles

SúriaOn April 4 and 5, the streets of Súria, in el Bages, will once again be filled with music, dances, and tradition. Hundreds of caramellares of all ages, grouped into several troupes, will fill the municipality's streets in a tradition passed down from parents to children. The caramelles of Súria have been documented since the 16th century and, since 2016, are part of the Catalog of Festive Heritage of Catalonia. Some groups of caramellaires complement the musical performance with Catalan dance performances, as the bell and stick dances are deeply rooted in Súria. Also present are the trabucaires, characteristic figures of the caramelles in this town since the 18th century. Easter Sunday is the central day of the festival, but it begins on Saturday, with the groups' visit to the surrounding farmhouses and the caramellaire gathering, which takes place in the evening.

Don't miss...The Súria Mining Interpretation Centre is a must-visit to discover the municipality's mining past, when potash exploitation was the main activity. It is located in the Poble Vell of Súria, where it is also worth walking through the streets, which retain the charm of their medieval past.

CardonaThis municipality in Bages defines its caramelles festival as "a song to spring". This year it will take place on April 4 and 5. The Caramellaires de Pagès, the Caramellaires de la Coromina and the Colla Jove are the main groups of the festival. They sing in the historic center of Cardona and in one of the four peasant neighborhoods into which the surroundings of the town are divided. Each year they visit one. On Sunday morning they sing in the streets of Cardona, until, later, the Town Hall is the meeting point for all the caramelles groups. The event concludes with the final joint singing of the Sardana de Cardona. During the singing sessions, the jingle dance also takes center stage. This dance has been documented in the municipality since the end of the 19th century, always linked to the Easter tradition.

You can't miss...The historic center and the Cardona Museum are essential to know the charm of the municipality. But you cannot miss visiting the Salt Mountain, a space that years ago was one of the most important potassium salt mines in the world. Visit it with the little ones at home and enjoy it with different eyes!

SolsonaOn Easter Sunday and Monday, the caramelles singing takes over the streets of Solsona by the hand of the singers from Orfeó Nova Solsona and Esplai Riallera, who are accompanied by the rhythms of a musical ensemble to offer their songs to residents and visitors. The Trabucaires and the Cobla Juvenil Ciudad de Solsona also take part in the festival, in addition to the municipality's esbart dancing group. The singers, as in other towns, are dressed in the traditional Catalan style. On Sunday, the route begins at the Casal de Cultura and then makes a stop at some of the busiest streets and squares in the capital of Solsonès. On Easter Monday, it is the turn to visit some of the surrounding neighborhoods and El Vinyet.

You can't miss...At number 37 Sant Llorenç street is the Quarto de los Gigantes, the space that houses most of the gigantic parade of Corpus and the Festa Major of Solsona. Other essential spaces worth visiting are the Episcopal Palace, the Museum of Solsona, and the Pou de Gel, among many others.

San Martín de TousIn this municipality of Anoia, the tradition of the caramelles dates back to the late 19th century, when a group of musicians and singers joined the tradition of singing sardanas and other popular songs through the streets and squares of the town during Easter Sunday. Currently, the participants in the festival reach almost 200 people. Not all are singers, there are also the ballesters —they accompany the singers through the streets and shoot toyas and flowers with long crossbows that reach balconies and windows—, the locas —young women who collect the donations they receive during the house-to-house tour—, the heiresses and heirs —boys and girls who are members of the Tous Music School.

You can't miss it...Visit Tous Castle, which stands on a small hill of 457 meters, and go hiking around the village to reach spectacular places, such as the Saltant de la Fou, a waterfall you will find in an almost magical setting surrounded by caves and grottos, such as the Cova del Diable.

Sant Julià de VilatortaThis locality in the Osona region celebrates the caramelles on Easter Sunday morning since 1590, when the Cofradía del Roser was founded, which initiated this tradition of choral singing in the municipality. The singers wear a long black cape, a top hat, and a purple Catalan tie. Additionally, each caramellaire carries a walking stick or turned staff with a small plaque bearing an image of the Virgen del Rosario on the front and the text of the joys on the back. The songs that usually fill the streets and squares are sardanas, waltzes, and habaneras, performed with two or three voices accompanied by instruments. The themes typically revolve around Easter, the arrival of spring, and the joy of singing, although in recent years they have also been dedicated to more local topics.

You can't miss...The Seven Fountains Park, where water springs from seven injectors from a natural spring, is a very special place in the town. You can also visit the chapel of Sant Roc, next to the Alameda farmhouse, and the remains of the Romanesque fortified manor house of Bellpuig, which dates from the 12th century.

FlixSince 1952, this town in the Ribera de Ebro celebrates the caramelles festival. With the singing members linked to the Orfeó de Flix, the chants resonate throughout the municipality on Holy Saturday night. Thus, this year, on April 4th, they will once again take to the streets to perform these songs that do not lose their cheerful and humorous tone. During their tour, the singers collect different donations, just as the old town criers used to do when they roamed the farmhouses of Flix to announce the resurrection of Christ around these dates. The fifty or so male singers place the collected money inside the basket, which, tied to the top of a pole, they pass through the balconies to make the collection that will serve to pay for the subsequent group dinner.

You can't miss...The excursion along the GR 99, the old Sirga Way, is a good option to discover the natural spaces on the banks of the Ebro River, such as the Sebes Reserve, where you will see storks and Camargue horses. You can also visit the Iberian settlement of Sebes, which offers an impressive panoramic view of the surroundings of the municipality in the region.

TárregaIn the capital of Urgell, the voices of the Mestre Güell children's choir will once again resonate through its streets and squares throughout Easter Sunday morning. This choir, founded in 1963 by Josep Cercós and Emília Rivera, already emerged with the intention of spreading the caramelles. Currently, it has become a musical symbol of the city of Tàrrega. During the singing, the youth section of the Esbart Albada accompanies the choir children with the typical dances of the caramelles, who are duly dressed in red scarves and barretinas, accompanied by their families during the procession. They also distribute sprigs of thyme among the public accompanying them during the festival and usually raffle Easter "monas" (cakes), to make the day more lively and with greater attendance.

You can't miss...Tàrrega is part of the Lighthouses of the West route with the church of Santa María del Alba, which stands out for its frescoes and for housing the relics of the Holy Thorns in a 17th-century reliquary. In the municipality, you can also follow the Pedrolo Route and take walks in Sant Eloi Park.