The 7 most important customs and traditions of Castilla y León

Castilla y León is a Spanish autonomous community that has been called a "historical and cultural community" and is located in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, notably which is made up of 9 provinces and is the autonomous community with the largest area in Spain, also having 9 properties that have been declared Heritage of the Humanity.

In this article We will talk about those customs and traditions of Castilla y León that have survived to the present day.

• Related article: "What is Cultural Psychology?"

The most famous traditions, customs and traditions of Castilla y León

Among the customs and traditions of Castilla y León, it is worth highlighting festivals with a long tradition such as the Carnivals that are celebrated in various points of this autonomous community, as well as Holy Week celebrated in the 9 provincial capitals, several of which have been they declared of International Tourist Interest, others of the National and some of the rest have been declared at the regional level.

1. Carnival in Castilla y León

One of the customs and traditions of Castilla y León that should be highlighted are the Carnival festivities that date back to pre-Roman times. In this Autonomous Community there are several towns whose Carnivals have been gaining more prominence over the years, so we are going to mention some of them.

First we will quote "The Witch Night" that is celebrated in the town of La Bañeza, in the province of León, some Carnivals that have been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, where in addition to dressing up the participating people, it is also celebrated with festivals, parades and parades, as well as after many continue the party in the bars of the location

Within the province of León we also want to highlight “Los Antruejos Leoneses”, from the oldest rituals in this area, being still conserved in various Leonese localities such as Riaño (Antruido), Riello, Velilla de la Reina or Cimanes del Tejar. In these parties it is tradition to dress up with colorful and showy masks.

Among the various customs and traditions of Castilla y León, there is a traditional Carnival celebration in the town of Toro (Zamora) that should be highlighted, “The Carnival Wedding”, a celebration that can be found reflected in texts dating back to the year 1590. In this festival it is a tradition that the oldest couples in town dress in traditional wedding suits and parade through the streets of the town of Zamora. On the other hand, there are also costume parades for children and adults.

These Carnivals conclude with the "burial of the sardine", a ceremony in which a symbolic figure is burned that usually represents a large sardine. size, being one of the customs and traditions of Castilla y León that are also developed in other locations around all of Spain and even in Latin America.

In the province of Zamora, “El Zangarrón de Sanzoles” is also celebrated, considered the festival with the largest number of winter masks in the entire Iberian Peninsula. These masks are of pre-Roman origin and are made with animal skins.

Other very popular Carnivals within this Autonomous Community are those celebrated in Ciudad Rodrigo, in the province of Salamanca, known as "The Carnival of the Bull", where there is a combination of costumes, music, running of the bulls and parades with the bulls. These Carnivals have also been declared as festivals of National Tourist Interest.

In Ávila, the “Carnaval de Cebreros” is celebrated, one of the customs and traditions of Castilla y León with more than 200 years. In Carnival it was a tradition for children to dress in fur coats and zamarras (coat jackets) of their grandparents, as well as they used to wear caps and clubs, while the girls used to put on their grandmothers' toquillas, their mothers' bags and also dressed in high-heeled shoes, put on makeup and painted their hair. lips. In these Carnivals there is a great parade of floats that have been built by hand by the participants.

• You may be interested: "The 12 best Spanish legends (old and current)"

2. The Obispillo

Another of the customs and traditions of Castilla y León is the “Obispillo” festival, orAn ancient Christmas tradition that is celebrated every December 28 (Day of the Holy Innocents) in the cathedrals of León, Burgos and Palencia, whose origin dates back to the fifteenth century.

This tradition consists of investing one of the children of the choir of a cathedral or monastery, so that the child who is chosen must dress in the clothes of a bishop. Then the child will make a journey parading through the city on a white horse. At the end of the journey, the boy who has been invested as the "Obispillo" will be in charge of transmitting the wishes on behalf of all the children for his city.

• Related article: "The 7 most important customs and traditions of Navarra"

3. Holy Week in Castilla y León

In an article about the traditions of Castilla y León we could not forget to mention the Week Santa, one of those that attract the greatest cultural and tourist interest in all of Spain, being able to boast of have 8 Holy Weeks that have been declared of International Interest (those of León, Salamanca, Zamora, Ávila, Palencia, Valladolid, Medina de Rioseco and Medina del Campo); as well as another 3 Holy Weeks declared of National Interest (those of Astorga, in the province of León; Burgos and the Bajada del Ángel de Peñafiel in Valladolid).

Some of the most important processions of Castilla y León they are that of the brothers of Jesus of Nazarene (León), that of the brotherhood of Christ of Love and Peace (Salamanca), La Borriquilla (Palencia), that of the Viacrucis of Segovia, the procession made with 7 sculptures of great artistic value from the 16th century on Palm Sunday in Valladolid, the procession of the Brotherhood of Christ of the Good Death in Zamora, the burning of the Judas in Trespaderne (Burgos), the procession of the Holy Burial in Arévalo (Ávila) or the adoration of the Holy Thorns in Ágreda (Soria), among other.

Among the customs and traditions of Castilla y León whose historical roots predate Christianity, there are a pagan festival celebrated in León on Holy Thursday in honor of Genarín, a picturesque man from the Leonese capital who has been remembered for his fondness for the "good life", being a well-known man who frequented the environments bohemians of the city at the beginning of the 20th century and that on the night of Holy Thursday he died from being run over by the first garbage truck in León in 1929.

After Genarín's death, some of his acquaintances began to gather in the Plaza del Grano in his honor, where that festival is still celebrated today.

• You may be interested: "The 8 most important customs and traditions of Asturias"

4. The stick dances of Castilla y León

Among the customs and traditions of Castile and Leon could not miss the traditional "stick dance" that has been recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest with the purpose of being able to spread in this way the anthropological and cultural origin of this manifestation with several centuries of history, whose origin is related to pagan rites.

The stick dance or paloteos consists of a traditional dance in which the participants hit two short sticks that they carry in their hands against each other or against the person in front of them following the rhythm of the music. Normally, a choreography that has been previously rehearsed is followed and they are divided into four different acts; being the first in front of the spectators, the second facing to the right, the third facing backwards, and the fourth, to the left, and there may be a fifth act in which it is performed again in front of the spectators. However, the choreographies may vary.

The best-known stick dance groups in Castilla y León are the Grupo de Danzas Sorianas, the groups from Aranda de Duero (Burgos) such as the Grupo Alqueria, among others, being the most common that the dancers are dressed in white and carrying the sticks or palitroques with which they will perform the shocks.

Stick dances are also celebrated in other parts around Spain, as well as in other countries in Europe, so there is a wide variety of stick dances.

• Related article: "110 Spanish words and expressions (with their meaning)"

5. Night of San Juan in Castilla y León

Another of the most outstanding customs and traditions of Castilla y León is the celebration of the Fiesta de San Juan or Noche de San Juan on the night of June 23, being a festival that is also celebrated in various locations around the Spanish national territory and even in other countries in Europe and Latin America.

Let's review some of the celebrations of the Night of San Juan, starting with the Fiestas de San Juan in the city of León, where various activities are carried out such as concerts with musical performers of national and international fame, games and activities for the smallest, parades with giants and big heads and a fair, among others, culminating with the traditional bonfire of San Juan that is carried out held in the Plaza de Puerta Obispo, giving way to the festival of groups from León in the Plaza San Marcelo, as well as various concerts.

In addition, it is common for both the inhabitants of the capital of León and the visitors to enjoy the tapas that offer its bars, including those located in the central Barrio Húmedo and the Barrio Romántico, being also the places where the party is usually continued until the wee hours of the morning, after having finished the bonfire of San Juan and the concerts.

Another of the most outstanding nights of San Juan among the traditions and festivities of Castilla y León is the one that is celebrated in the Leonese region of El Bierzo, and more specifically in the municipality of Arganza, where what has been recognized as the largest bonfire in Europe takes place. In turn, at this festival it is common for a traditional queimada and hot chocolate to be offered to all visitors and residents of the area, and there are also other events to enjoy such as concerts or sports and leisure activities for the most youths.

In Segovia, a Night of San Juan is also celebrated, which is worth mentioning: includes a fireworks show, as well as parades of floats, musical performances, festivals and the troupe of giants and big heads.

In the town of San Pedro Manrique (Soria) a very popular San Juan Festival is celebrated, being commonly known by the names of "Paso del Fuego" or "Fiestas de las Móndidas", having been declared a Festival of National and International Tourist Interest. In this festival, the highlight is the event in which the people of San Pedro cross barefoot a path of incandescent embers that have been arranged on the ground as a carpet without burning. Tradition marks that the first 3 young men to pass by must carry the three móndidas or party girls on their backs.

On Las Moreras beach in Valladolid, a foothill of the Pisuerga river where this river beach was artificially created, the traditional bonfires of the Night of San Juan are celebrated, a time when groups of friends and family often gather in huddles around the bonfires to chat, dance and have a drink while they wait for the official bonfire to be lit. Once the bonfires are extinguished, the celebration usually continues through the concerts.

In the town of Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia) this popular tradition is celebrated beginning with the greeting of the different participating rocks on the balcony of the town hall, the place from which the famous rocket of San Juan, continuing with the torchlight parade in the direction of the local sports city, where the traditional bonfire of San Juan. Various activities are also carried out such as the popular Olympics, the parade "Charanguilar" and a festival.

It is also worth mentioning "Las Sanjuaneras", a festival in Soria in which various activities are carried out, beyond the traditional bonfire, such as the brass bands that go accompanied by the peñas sanjuaneras, the parades and the well-known country bull run in which the animals can run in semi-freedom.

• You may be interested: "The 8 most famous traditions and customs of Galicia"

6. Other Festivals of National Tourist Interest in Castilla y León

Next we will talk about other Festivals of National Tourist Interest, in addition to the Carnivals and Holy Week that have also been declared with this distinctive appointment, which should be mentioned among the main customs and traditions of Castile and Lion.

One of these festivals is "El Niño Baptizo" which is celebrated every January 1 in Palencia, being a tradition that the brotherhood of the Dulce Nombre del Niño Jesús be the one in charge of organizing this celebration. In this festival, the well-known procession of the Baptism is carried out in which they parade with the carving of the child Jesus that is carried by the brothers and some local authorities, accompanied by the band of dulzainas typical of Palencia.

Another festival that is of great interest is the "Festival of Exaltation of the Botillo" in the town of Bembibre (León), whose origin dates back to 1973, where you can taste the botillo, a sausage that is typical of the Comarca del Bierzo that are made up of the following ingredients: rib, pig's tail, tongue, cheek, shoulder and backbone.

It is also worth noting, among the customs and traditions of Castilla y León, "La Loa" in the town of La Alberca (Salamanca), a traditional festival that is celebrated on August 16 after a confinement through the streets of this town. This festival is an auto sacramental in which the victory of good over more is staged, this celebration being one of the oldest auto sacramentals originating in the Middle Ages. Spain.

Various traditional characters participate in this celebration, highlighting the snake, a monster that It has the head and body of a goat, as well as 7 serpent heads representing the 7 sins. capitals. On the back of this snake appears a costumed character representing the devil, giving way to a pyrotechnics show, in such a way that it simulates the fire of hell.

Finally, it is convenient to mention among the customs and traditions of Castilla y León the “Fiesta del Vítor”, also known by the name of “El Vítor Civic Procession”, which is celebrated on September 27 in Mayorga (Valladolid), being a civic procession whose origin dates back to the year 1650 as a result of the reception by its inhabitants of the relic of Santo Toribio Alfonso de Morgovejo, his Pattern. In this procession the neighbors carry torches or skins hanging from sticks that are set on fire and go towards the Ermita de Santo Toribio guiding the "Vítor" or banner.

7. Dances, sports and traditional games of Castilla y León

Among the customs and traditions of Castilla y León, other traditional dances of their lands should also be highlighted, apart from the stick dance, such as the Leonese jotas, from Soria, Segovia and Burgos, the dance of the drone (Valladolid), the dances known as charradas (Salamanca), the stick dances (Zamora), the redondilla (Palencia), among others.

Also noteworthy is the great diversity of sports and traditional games in Castilla y León, such as the Leonese wrestling or the "aluches", which has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest, traditional bowling, the bald, the game of the frog, the thong or tango, the horseshoe, the game of the key, the Roman billiards, the cutting of logs, the throwing of the Castilian bar, etc.

• You may be interested: "The 10 psychological benefits of practicing physical exercise"

Other information of interest about Castilla y León

In addition to the customs and traditions of Castilla y León, it is worth mentioning other information of interest about this autonomous community so full of history, where you can find 12 cathedrals, 9 assets that have been declared a World Heritage Site, noting its great artistic-architectural wealth that demonstrates the great historical significance of Castile and Lion.

On the other hand, Castilla y León has a wide cultural baggage; and it is that the two oldest universities in Spain that are still fully operational today and that are also among the oldest in Europe, are located in Castilla y León. The first is the University of Salamanca, founded in 1218, and through which illustrious personalities have passed historical figures such as Antonio de Nebrija, Francisco de Vitoria, Fray Luis de León or Miguel de Unamuno, among others. The second is the University of Valladolid (1241), through which Miguel Delibes or Juan de Herrera, among others, have passed.

Some historians say that the oldest university in Spain is the University of Palencia, founded between 1208 and 1212; however, this institution of higher education was doomed to disappear in the year 1300 approximately.

noteworthy the wide gastronomic variety with the typical dishes of the different points of this autonomous community, since historically they are deeply rooted in the customs and traditions of Castilla y León, such as the cocido maragato from Astorga (León), the beans from the farm (Segovia), the steak from Ávila, the suckling pig from Segovia, the Torreznos from Soria, the Zamora style rice, the Palencia stew or the chorizo ​​omelette (Valladolid), among others.

Castilla y León also offers a wide variety of typical products such as cecina from León, blood sausage from Burgos, lazos de San Guillermo de puff pastry made in Cistierna (León), blue cheese from Valdeón (León), botillo from the region of El Bierzo (León), hornazo from Salamanca, cured ham from Guijuelo (Salamanca), the asparagus from Tudela (Valladolid), the yolks from Santa Teresa (Ávila), the Fabiola palentina, the migas de pastor (Soria), the aceitadas (Zamora), the Segovian punch, as well as a wide variety of wines, many of them recognized with the Denomination of Source.