On September 11th of each year, Catalunya celebrates La Diada de Catalunya. La Diada, as the locals call it, is when Catalunya celebrates its national day. It commemorates the defeat of Catalonia during the War of Secession in 1714. On La Diada, there are cultural events in Catalonian villages and major Catalonian cities, such as Barcelona - Catalonia’s capital city.
Catalonia is a region of Spain that is its own autonomous community. It encompasses the northeastern border of Spain and consists of four provinces: Barcelona (the capital), Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. As you may have noticed, I’ve been switching between Catalunya and Catalonia -- they are one and the same. Catalonia is the English spelling of Catalunya, which is the Catalan spelling. Catalan, although sometimes thought of as a Spanish dialect, it is actually its own language.
In fact, the main language in Barcelona is Catalan, and many Catalonians hardly speak Spanish. As someone who chose to study abroad in Spain, picking Barcelona wasn’t the best choice to improve my Spanish speaking skills; however, it was the right choice for exploring the vast culture that Spain has to offer. And on the plus side, at least my host mom knows both Spanish and Catalan. Now, I can come home having mastered two new languages!
Anyway, back to La Diada. On the day of La Diada, me and a few friends “accidentally” stumbled into the middle of a demonstration. We were told it would be a march lead by pro-independence groups, however it was more like a standstill peaceful protest. There was 1 million people estimated to be in attendance, and I think all 1 million of them made it. Every Catalonian was wearing either the flag of Catalunya or a light blue shirt calling for independence. People chanted “viva la indpendència” while waving around the Catalonian flag. People even brought their dogs (see pics below)! It was a very cool cultural experience for me to see just how much pride Catalonians have for their community.
After the demonstration, we went out to the festivities held at the plaza near the Arc de Triomf. There were tents and stands selling Catalonian cheeses, wines, pastries, and memorabilia. Later on in the night, there was a concert, and the plaza was flooded with people. Everyone, young and old, came to celebrate Catalonia. While some pro-independence groups are still hoping that Catalunya will break apart from Spain and become its own country, most are glad that Catalunya still exists at all as its own region in Spain.
If I were to compare La Diada to an American holiday, I would compare it to the Fourth of July. However, there really is no comparison besides the fact the people have the day off from work and school and that it is a day to celebrate ones nationality. I say this because, while Catalunya is technically an independent community, it is still not an independent country broken away from Spain; unlike America who became a nation independent from Britain in 1776. Nonetheless, September 11th remains a day of celebration for all communities across the region of Catalunya.