''Correfocs'' (); literally in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

"fire-runs") are among the most striking features present in

Valencian Valencian can refer to: * Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain * Something related to the city of Valencia * Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain * Something related to the old Kingdom of ...

and Catalan festivals. In the ''correfoc'', a group of individuals will dress as

devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

s and light up

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

– fixed on devil's pitchforks or strung above the route. Dancing to the sound of a rhythmic drum group, they set off their fireworks among crowds of spectators. The spectators that participate dress to protect themselves against small burns and attempt to get as close as possible to the devils, running with the fire. Other spectators will watch from "safe" distances, rapidly retreating as necessary. The ''correfoc'' can come in many forms. Some are simple parades using fireworks and effigies of the devil. In

Sitges ; , ) is a town about 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, renowned worldwide for Sitges Film Festival, its film festival, Carnival, and LGBTQ culture. Located between the Garraf Massif and the Mediterranean Sea, it is know ...

, it is common for a crowd to line a street, while participants run through a tunnel of fireworks. ''Correfocs'' are run during the Festival of ''La Mercè'' in Barcelona, the Festival of ''Santa Tecla'' in Tarragona and the Festival of ''Saint Narcissus'' in

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

. Another typical Catalan folkloric expression of this sort takes place in

L'Arboç L'Arboç () is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. L'Arboç contains a half-scale replica of the La Giralda in Seville. The building also contains copies of the Court of the Lions from the Alhambra ...

. The highlight of the village's feast is the ''Carretillada''. In the evening of the feast day, the town square is made to look like

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

. For nearly half an hour, "devils" burn their ''carretilles'' (carts), jumping around ceaselessly, while a large "sceptre of Lucifer" and the "pitchfork of the ''Diablessa'' (she-devil)" shoot fire-jets and other

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

. Every year, the ''carretillada'' is a bit different, because the 'colla' does not give up novelties that are added each year to add to the spectacle. Anarco-rrefoc

References

External links

Correfoc images

Els Ducs del Foc

Colla del Basilisc

Grup del Correfoc del Follet i la Fantasma de Sant Feliu de Codines

Xaldiga de Manresa

Ball de diables de L'Arboç

Fills de Satanàs de l'Spelunca Diabòlica
*
Dimonis de l'Avern

Federació de Dimonis i Diables del País Valencià

Great Devils in Panamá

Senyors del foc, Castelló d'Empúries, Catalunya

La Merce Part 3

Pàgina oficial de la Federació de Diables i Dimonis de Catalunya

Dimonis de Campanar

Diables de Terrassa

Image Gallery, Correfoc at L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain
{{Culture of Valencian Community Catalan folklore Catalan symbols Catalan words and phrases Culture of the Valencian Community

See also

References

External links