Carnaval de Prats-de-Mollo

The Carnaval de Prats-de-Mollo: An Ancestral Tradition Registered with UNESCO

The Carnaval de Prats-de-Mollo is inseparable from the Bear Festival, one of the oldest and most spectacular traditions in Catalonia. Inscribed in 2022 as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, this festival takes place every year at the end of February, before spring.

The Bear Festival: An Initiatory Ritual

The diada de l'ós (the day of the bear) features young men disguised as bears, wearing sheepskins sewn onto their clothes and their faces blackened with soot. These bears roam the village streets, attempting to mark passers-by with their blackened hands. Hunters and barbers chase them all afternoon until they are captured, chained, and publicly "shaved," symbolizing the transition from bear to civilized being.

Legend and Symbolism

According to legend, a shepherdess abducted by a bear is found and rescued. This ancestral ritual symbolizes the transition from winter to spring, the victory of civilization over wild nature, and the initiatory rite of passage to adulthood.

Three Days of Festivities

The carnival spans several days with original events: the Encadenat (chaining), the Ball de la posta (dance of the plank), bullfighting games, parades of costumed groups, balls, and farandoles in the medieval streets of Prats-de-Mollo.