What to do in November in Barcelona?
The cooler days have now finally arrived in Barcelona. But as with every other month, there is still a lot to do and see around the city. It is time for warmer drinks, sweaters and a wide range of festivities. Through the amazing celebrations of Castayanda and Halloween, we move into November. This means that it is time for Cursa Jean Bouin, Black Friday and many local festivities.
Our tips for activities and events in November in Barcelona
Bank holidays in November in Barcelona
Festivities in November in Barcelona
Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day)
On the first day of November, also known as Dia de Todos Los Santos Catholics honour the dead. In Spain, people put flowers on the graves of the loved ones that have passed and attend a church service in their honour. Since this is a national public holiday, most shops will be closed. For those that are interested in knowing more about this day, one can visit the cemetery museum at Montjuïc to see the collection of funeral carriages.
Festa Major del Clot - Camp de l’Arpa
This festivity organized by the neighbourhood ‘Clot’ and Camp de l’Arpa is celebrated in honour of Sant Martí. Sant Martí was one of the most loved saints during the Middle Ages. Numerous villages have been named after this Saint, which goes to show the level of popularity of this Saint in Catalonia. As with many other neighbourhood festivities around Barcelona, there will be human towers (castellers), a parade of giants (cercaviles) and a traditional fire run (correfoc).
Festa Major de la Verneda i Sant Martí
Taking place over the span of two weekends, the neighbourhood of La Verneda celebrates Festa Major de la Verneda I Sant Martí. Celebrations include the giants’ procession (cercavila gegantera), the human tower shows of the Castellers de Barcelona, the music procession and the final singing of Havaneres (cantada d’havaneres). The La Verneda neighbourhood is part of a village that dates back all the way to the 11th century. Up until the 1950’s, this was a rural neighbourhood. It transformed to the neighbourhood we know today through various town planning initiatives.
Festa Major de la Sagrera
The Sagrera neighbourhood originally was linked to the old village of Sant Martí de Provençals like La Verneda. However, today it is seen as part of the Sant Andreu district. The neighbourhood experienced a rapid transformation throughout the 20th century due to industrialization.
The reason for the celebration is the Christ the King festival (Festa del Crist Rei) which marks the end of the liturgical calendar and the beginning of the most important celebration in the Catholic Church; Advent. The celebration is therefore dedicated to Christ the King. Similar to other the festivities in the other neighbourhoods, the parish of Sagrera includes the procession of the giants (cercavila gegantera), a dance festival, the fire run (correfoc) by the local devils’ group known as the ‘Colla del Drac I Diables de la Sagrera’.
Festa Major de Sant Andreu de Palomar
Then finally there’s the Festa Major de Sant Andreu de Palomar. Sant Andreu de Palomar is known as the historical centre of the Sant Andreu district. The neighbourhood stands out through its wide variety of hundred-year-old associations. The majority of these associations are very involved in the process of planning the cultural, recreational and sporting events of the Festa Major. The festivities start off with a festive ‘’explosion’’ that showcases the neighbourhood’s rich culture.
Included in this festive ‘’explosion’’ are the parade of the giants (cercavila gegantera), the group of trabucaires with their blunderbusses, the demons (diables), the dancers of the Esbart Maragall and the fire run (correfoc). On the first day, there is a procession around the neighbourhood (cercavila), which is followed by a parade with lights (passada lluïment) and traditional dances.
This festivity, similar to those in other neighbourhoods is one that represents the rich culture of Catalonia. Therefore, one cannot miss out on joining in on these kinds of festivities!
Events in November in Barcelona
Cursa Jean Bouin
The annual Jean Bouin run will take place this November. Around 15,000 runners will come together for the 98th edition of the race. The race is open to everyone and starts near the Magic Fountain near Plaza Espanya. One can register as a participant in the 6-8 weeks before the run online.
The race is named after the French athlete, Jean Bouin, who held various world records between 1911 and 1913 and was the runner-up in the Stockholm Olympics of 1912. The first edition of the race took place in 1920. The Jean Bouin run was initiated by three journalists and sports promoters, passionate about athletics. Runners will run past some of Barcelona’s most beautiful locations, such as Parc de la Ciutadella, Arc de Triomf, the harbour and plaza Espanya.
World Press Photo
The 2022 World Press Photo Exhibition is on its worldwide tour, showcasing this year’s most impressionable and telling photographs. These photographs are selected by an independent jury that has reviewed over 64,820 photographs from 130 countries. This amazing exhibition showcases the world we live in today through photographs and is recommended to anyone interested in all that is happening.
Other
Black Friday
As in many other cities and countries nowadays, many Barcelona stores also participate in ‘Black Friday’. This day originates from Philadelphia, USA. The police in Philadelphia started using the term ‘Black Friday’ as a way to refer to the heavy traffic the day after Thanksgiving. Twenty years later the phrase became more common and was used to represent the point of the year when Christmas sales started.
This time of year is when most retailers start to see the most profit and therefore could possibly go from being ‘’in the red’’ to being ‘’in the black’’. The retail sector uses the term to indicate that prices of products will be reduced and that there will be good deals. For many people, ‘Black Friday’ is the day to go shopping for presents for all the upcoming festivities, including Christmas.
Things to do
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