The twist of wrists and hands, the stomp of feet, and the twirl of brightly colored dresses dancing in coordination to traditional music fill the makeshift dance floor. At the edge, a table of friends erupt in laughter as they cheer. Children weave in and out of the tables making their way to the dance floor to mimic the dance moves, while the smell of sweet sherry wine hangs in the air as thick as the yellow dust below their feet. Feria season has arrived in Andalucía!
Feria, or fair, typically comes at the end of a cold, damp winter season as well as the end of Lent. With the promise of summer just around the corner, everyone is in a festive mood. Add in two years of canceled ferias due to the pandemic, and most locals are ready to put on their best dresses, meet up with friends, and dance sevillanas into the early hours of the morning.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, feria started as a way for locals to meet and exchange goods such as livestock or crops. These fairs ran from spring until fall in different cities throughout Spain and southern France. Today, the fairs are not focused on the bartering of goods, but instead on relaxing and having fun with your family, friends, and coworkers.
Each city’s feria can vary, not just because of location, but because of the focus. For example, Jerez de la Frontera’s is called the “Feria de Caballo” or horse fair, and both well-bred horses and sherry are plentiful. El Puerto de Santa Maria’s Feria has a large lighted Osborne bull honoring one of its famous wineries. Sanlucar de Barrameda’s is called “Feria de la Manzanilla,” paying homage to the sweet sherry wine of the city. For serious feria-goers, it can become a fun adventure to visit different ferias and note the differences.
In a span of a few weeks, each town’s feria grounds are transformed from large empty lots to mini villages with food stands, games, rides, and temporary structures called casetas. Casetas – typically run by restaurants and bars, private organizations, brotherhoods, sports clubs, or cities – feature a bar, seating, and dance floor. Some casetas are available only to members, whereas others are open to all.
Casetas offer food and drink available for purchase, varying from traditional tapas dishes to more elaborate dishes from their makeshift kitchens. In addition to tapas, you will find a traditional feria montadito, or sandwich, called “el serranito.” It’s thin pan-fried pork loin with a roasted pepper and jamon on bread. For drinks, there is beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Rebujito is the drink of feria consisting of manzanilla mixed with 7-Up soda; typically served in pitchers to share with friends.
Synonymous with feria is the traditional sevillanas dancing. This intricate, coordinated dance features flowing hand motions, swaying hips, intricate footwork, and twirls set to music. Two people move towards, away, and around their partner in a very small space. One could liken it to the Spanish version of square dancing!
During feria, you will see many women dress up in traditional feria dresses, particularly on “women’s day.” The traditional outfit consists of brightly colored dresses which have become a visual icon of Southern Spain. These form-fitting dresses billow into layers of ruffles towards the bottom making them quite heavy and expensive. The ensembles are accessorized with flowers in their hair and large colorful jewelry on their necks and wrists.
Sometimes at feria, you will find people in the traditional horse-rider attire called “traje corto.” This is commonly worn by the men – and some women – riding horsing or carriages at feria. It is even more common at Jerez de la Frontera’s Feria de Caballo. Regardless of how you dress, you can attend and join in feria!
Most of the local towns – including Rota and El Puerto de Santa Maria – host feria with some running as late in the year as October. It’s a great opportunity to socialize with locals and live your best life while stationed here in Rota, Spain!
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2022 06:39 |
| Story ID: | 418924 |
| Location: | ES |
| Web Views: | 664 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The World’s Most Colorful Fair: Feria Season in Andalucía, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
