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What is the Festival of Sant Antoni?

The festival of Sant Antoni (Saint Anthony in English) takes place all over Spain and the region of Catalonia.

In the video, we join Lola in Barcelona to see what she enjoys most about the festival.

Exploring the Festival of Sant Antoni with Lola

The festival of Sant Antoni is a huge celebration involving food, street dancing and fireworks in honour of Sant Antoni, the patron saint of animals.

During the festival many people travel to have their pets blessed by a priest.

Food at the festival

Like many other Spanish festivals, there is plenty of food to eat.

Stalls sell traditional Spanish food such as fish, meat and cheese and not forgetting paella, which is made from rice, chicken and seafood.

Did you know?

Each region in Spain has its’ own version of paella and you may find that the ingredients change slightly depending on where in Spain you visit.

Celebrations at the festival

Part of the festival of Sant Antoni is - big heads and giants.

They mimic Spanish characters and are usually hand-painted.

The cabazudos and gigantes have been used since the 13th Century and have a rich history.

Something you might also hear at a traditional Spanish festival is live music.

This usually involves lots of drumming and dancing and helps to create an exciting atmosphere.

In Catalonia and Valencia people celebrate the - the fire run.

During this performance, people dress as creatures and light fireworks, which is always carried out safely.

Can you remember some of the key words Lola used in the video?

SpanishEnglish
Festival of Saint Anthony
Let's go to the festival!
big heads
giants
food
paella (national dish)
I like paella
fire run
Goodnight!

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