The traditional mass will take place on July 26th in the morning, followed by the 'Ball de Coques' dance in the afternoon.
Fraga will celebrate the feast of Saint Anne this Friday, January 26th, with the main novelty being the revival of the "ball de coques" as a popular dance. It will be the first time in many years that this traditional dance of the capital of the Bajo Cinca region will be performed outside the traditional stage, where it has been performed by local musical groups and other musicians, so that it can be enjoyed by the rest of the town's residents, as was customary until the mid-20th century.
This event, which will begin at 20:30 p.m. with a parade from the Miguel Servet parking lot to the schoolyard, will serve as the culmination of the three free workshops that have been held in the last month and that have been open to the entire population with the aim of the residents learning the main steps of this dance and, thus, recovering a part of the cultural heritage of Fraga.
After the parade, there will be a traditional dance and the raffle of the pa beneït (blessed bread), just as was the custom in the past. The raffle will be held among all registered participants in the classes who are present at the time of the drawing. The day will end with a potluck dinner and dancing to folk music.
The Councillor for Culture and Neighborhoods, María José Barrafón, thanked Jordi Florensa and Gustavo Vera “for being the main promoters of the recovery of this typical dance of Fraga and its return to its origins, to the ordinary people, so that the public can enjoy it in a popular way.”
“For Fraga and for the people of Fraga, it is very positive news that the ball de coques is being revived, because it is very important to keep alive the cultural heritage and those elements of our legacy and our roots that have led us to be the society we are today,” said the councilor.
Barrafón also expressed satisfaction with the great reception the workshops received, where 160 people learned the main steps of the dance and its instrumental and vocal accompaniment: “The response from the Fraga community to this initiative has been incredible, so, as Councilor for Culture, I want to thank each and every person who participated in the workshops and who made it possible for the ball de coques to be danced again this Friday, Saint Anne's Day, as a popular dance.”
Mass in honor of Saint Anne
In addition to the Ball de Coques celebration, the traditional mass in honor of Saint Anne will also take place. This Eucharist will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Santa Ana chapel, and afterwards, coca (a type of flatbread) and muscatel wine will be distributed to all attendees.
Regarding the mass, Barrafón thanked the residents of the neighborhood for their collaboration: “It is a very beautiful tradition and, as every year, we must congratulate the people who live in Santa Ana, since they are the main promoters of this event and responsible for maintaining the mass with the subsequent distribution of coca and moscatel.”
