#encamisada

A girl wearing the traditional clothes of Catalan women rides a horse as part of the Encamisada festivity, celebrated annually on the weekend closest to Sant Antoni (January 17th) in her town Falset.

Young people from Falset (Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia) wearing the typical clothes of Catalonia for the Encamisada festivity, celebrated annually on Saint Anthony’s Day (January 17th).

Many towns and cities in Catalonia celebrate Saint Anthony’s day (Sant Antoni) with a festivity called the Tres Tombs (“Three Laps”). Since he’s the patron saint of animals and muleteers, traditionally people brought their carriages, mules, horses and other animals or vehicles, who go around three times and then they’re blessed. People dress in the formal traditional clothes and decorate their carriages and animals with flowers.

However, in Falset there’s another layer added to this festivity. On top of the Tres Tombs, Falset commemorates how the villagers defeated the enemy army who wanted to invade the town. It’s not clear if this event happened during the Napoleonic invasion (around 1810 against the French army) or during the War of the Spanish Succession (1700-1714, against the Spanish army).

Either way, the legend talks about a foggy day, where the mist was so thick that it blocked the view. The Falsetans dressed in white shirts to as camouflage and attacked their enemies by surprise.