It has been a tradition for almost a century that in February, coinciding with the celebration of Saints Agatha and Apollonia, the women pay for the party and it is a celebration just for them.
In this municipality of the Lower Cinca region, married women traditionally celebrated Saint Agatha's Day and single women Saint Apollonia's Day. The celebrations are comprised of many unique features, some dating back to ancient times and others reflecting the festival's modern evolution. For example, as can be read on the blog of the Rondalla Virgen de Loreto , the bonfire is known to be as old as the festival itself, while the Friday dinner is a relatively recent addition.
Currently, the festival is a unified event, and women pay for it with a fee of €35 per person (this year, starting from those born in 2010). In addition, to finance the celebrations, they also sell lottery tickets and raffle tickets for a drawing in which only women dressed in traditional attire can participate. Friday night is exclusively for women, but the events throughout the rest of the weekend are also open to men. Bonfire, dinner, live music, a DJ, and, of course, the traditional blessed bread, are essential elements of this celebration, which features the women of Ballobar as the stars of the show.
Today, women are proud to maintain this tradition and strive to preserve the historical heritage of mothers and grandmothers.
In our current era, marked by the struggle for equality and social justice, it is interesting to discover nearby traditions of female empowerment and matriarchy in the Bajo/Baix Cinca region. Like this tradition in Ballobar, we know of the figure of 'La Fragatina', the celebration of 'Día de La Faldeta' (Day of the Skirt), and the first feminist strike led by the 'encaixonadores de figues' (fig packers), almost 100 years ago.
Do you know of any other stories featuring women? Write to us at redaccion@diariobajocinca.com
