dissabte, 21 de juny del 2008

St. John's "coca"



Pine nut "coca". Picture from neeest Creative Commons License


We catalans are quite weird people with such weird habits as this one about consuming huge amounts of "coca" every year's shortest night.

Nevertheless, it's not THIS white powder that comes from THIS andinian* bush's manipultion, but a wide open variety of cakes, both sweet and salty. Sweet as the "coca" we use to eat each Saint John's eve, specially the pine nut one.

It's a very important feast for us. First because it's one of the two nights of the year when any teenager get permission to be out until next morning, as in New Year's Eve. And I must say that these night you'd feel even more frustrated than usual if you don't pick up a girl this night. And, second, because its fire and fireworks night.


St. John's bonfire. Picture from Josep Santacreu Creative Commons License


It's, compared to Colombia, as if New Year Eve's had been moved to the middle of th year. They burn the "Año Viejo" (a dummy made of old clothes) and we burn a bonfire (which in other times was made with your old furniture). Here we shoot firecrackers everywhere and there... they also do it, but when the police is not watching. I mean, I find quite strange that here at Catalonia we don't have quite any bans against firecrackers. The most they do is just some suggestions and controled sales. But never these prohibitions like in Colombia.

Biggest burn ratios in Bogotá than in Barcelona, maybe? who knows...

In any case, if next June 23th's eve you miss some catalonian frien in MSN, it's quite sure that he's out to party after eating his half pound of "coca"... pine nut "coca".

Further information:
  • Our "coca" at Wikipedia
  • St. John's Eve
  • Generalitat's suggestions for St. John's Eve, firecrackers included (ca)
  • About colombian authorities against firecrackers (es)
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