Carpe Diem: Politiki Kouzina

13 days after the arrival.

Catalunya, triomfant,

tornarà a ser rica i plena!

Endarrera aquesta gent

tan ufana i tan superba!

Bon cop de falç!

Bon cop de falç,

defensors de la terra!

Bon cop de falç!

Ara és hora, segadors!

Ara és hora d'estar alerta!

Per quan vingui un altre juny

esmolem ben bé les eines!

Que tremoli l'enemic

en veient la nostra ensenya:

com fem caure espigues d'or,

quan convé seguem cadenes!

Els Segadors

Next day upon the departure from Russia, 11 September, there was held the Diada, National Day of Catalunya. (It refers to September 11th in 1714, when Barcelona was forced to surrender to the French and Castilian soldiers after a 13-month siege.) Nowadays the story recurs.

"The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Algirdas Butkevicius, stated that each country “has to find its own way” and “has the right to self-determination” when he was specifically asked about Catalonia’s human chain. Lithuania is holding the European Union Presidency from July to December. The CNA interviewed the Lithuanian Premier on the occasion of the 400-kilometre human chain ‘Catalan Way towards independence’, which was inspired by the ‘Baltic Way’ of 1989 requesting the independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from the USSR. The ‘Baltic Way’ united in an uninterrupted and peaceful human chain Tallin, Riga and Vilnius; two years later the 3 Baltic states became independent."(c) Catalannews.

In Russian - http://regnum.ru/news/fd-abroad/1708798.html

Coming out of the subway, I saw the houses covered with the yellow and red colours. Almost every window was marked with a flag. 13 days after, citizens have been still keeping them.

I didn't have the opportunity to see the 'human chain' but I was a witness of seeing the long catalonian flag held by thousands of people. It was amazing due to the unity of the Catalans who had been standing for hours just to be the part of something worthy. Notwithstanding the rainy weather.

Tourists and the citizens holding the flag

La Senyera - the Catalan flag
"According to a legend, La Senyera - as the Catalan flag is called- was first used during the 900's. That makes it one of the oldest flags in Europe still in use.
Legend explains that the four red bars represent the impression left by the fingers of King Charles II (the Bald) drenched with blood from the wounds of King Wilfred I (the Count of Barcelona, also known as Wilfred the Hairy) on Wilfred’s golden shield prior to his death in 897 during the siege of Barcelona."

There also exist the "estelades". An uknown Catalan: "They basically mean that people who have them want the independence of Catalonia or from the Catalan Countries. The one with the blue triangle and white star is more neutral: it's pro-independence only, whereas the one with the yellow triangle and red star is not only pro-independence but socialist. If I put a Catalan flag on my balcony, I am not saying if I want Catalonia to be independent, to become a federal state or to continue to be an autonomous region within Spain, it just shows that I'm Catalan and that I love Catalonia. If I place a "esteladar", it means that I want the independence of Catalonia."

Almost everyone brought a flag. Some were wrapped in, some placed it rather originally.

I also bought one from a Pakistani. He assured me of no difference between yellow -red and yellow -red with a star.

NB: Europeans take their dogs everywhere they go

The example of an "estelades"

A traditional catalan red cap is emblematic of the region’s cultural independence from Spain.

The caganer (the pooper) is the symbol of Catalunia and appears in the nativity scenes. He is wearing black trousers, a white shirt and the typical red Catalan hat called the “barretina” and is shown while emptying his bowels, often while smoking a pipe.

Nobody knows the origin of this weird symbol. "Most commonly, it is supposed that the little crapper originally was a symbol for fertility and was placed in the nativity scene to bring luck, a bountiful harvest, prosperity and joy in the coming year. Others argue, that the Caganer is a symbol of equality, as everyone, regardless of position, status, gender, race etc. has the same need the Caganer depicts so vividly. " (c) Wordpress, Catalunia.

Other catalan tradition is the "gegants i capgrossos"- "giants and big heads." The giants are hollow festival papier-maché figures usually three or four metres meters tall that show the upper part of the figure and have a skirt covering the lower part.