La Feria!

Let's talk about Feria. Sevilla has two major celebrations, Semana Santa or Holy Week, and then two weeks later, La Feria. The way I've described it to people is that it's a massive flamenco festival, but it's actually a bit different. Feria began as a forum to sell livestock and horses to the wealthy in the early 20th century. I believe it started becoming more popular and touristy in the 1970's. The traditions and dress from when it began are still very much alive today, though the fashions for flamenco dresses change each year.

Flamenco dresses are actually called "traje de gitana" (gypsy suit) because flamenco, as I just learned, was born in the caves of Granada where the gypsies lived. Gypsies, to this day, are subject to a lot of discrimination in Spain, but their cultural contribution of flamenco has been absorbed within the last last 150 into a mainstream tradition. At Feria, we danced the Sevillana, a regional folk dance which is influenced by flamenco, but everyone knows how to do it (and they dance it even if they don't). 

Sevillano families, if they have the money to pay for it, have what are called casetas. Casetas are fancy private tents with full bars and what's similar to a restaurant inside. There are a few public ones, but it's usually more fun to be invited to a private caseta. In some you have to pay for your own food and drink but in others the family treats you. The drink of Feria is rebujito, which is a mix of manzanilla, or vino fino (kind of like sherry white wine) and sprite. It's pretty good, and it goes to your head much more quickly than expected. Feria goes on all day, and it's easy to spend all day and all night hopping to different casetas and eating and drinking and dancing, sometimes it's demasiado. Almost all the women wear trajes, which can be very expensive and very beautiful, decked out with heels and big earrings and flowers in their hair. During the day people ride through the fair on horses, the women sit side saddle, and in horse drawn carriages decked out with bells and decorations. 

There's also a carnival part to Feria and it's very funny to see the women all decked out going on a roller coaster. Throughout the week you can see people in their Feria finest all over the city, it's amazing how alive and strong the tradition is. I've never seen anything like it, it's a very unique experience. It seems like it sums Sevilla up perfectly, a city full of people who absolutely love to have fun. 

Men on San Jacinto on their way to Feria in traditional dress

La Portada (the gateway), I'm not sure if they change it every year, but I think every few years they construct a different design. On the left are casetas, and the whole fair is decorated with lights and paper lanterns

Lucy, Alberto, Me and Liz in our Feria finest in front of the portada

Me with Fran's sister Sara (on right) and his friend, I forget her name. Fran's sister had beautiful dresses. This one was coral with off white lace. The next day she wore one that was hang painted. It's ok to go to Feria if you don't have a traje, women who don't have just get dressed up and usually wear ridiculous heels, which is very silly because the grounds are dirt and cobblestone. The traje is important, but so are the complementos that go with it. Spanish women spend a lot of time picking out earrings, flowers, bracelets and scarves to go with the dress.

Another shot of the Portada at Alumbrao. Alumbrao (which should be Alumbrado, but Sevillanos eat their 'd's) is on the first night of Feria, Monday night at midnight, where everyone gathers to watch them light up the portada, it's kind of like going to see the ball drop on New Years (something that I tried to explain to the girl I'm tutoring, never though of that as a weird tradition). Feria ends as quickly as it begins with fireworks over the river at midnight on Sunday night. After that everything is taken down right away. 

CHURROS. 

Liz snapped a sly photo of these women dancing the Sevillana