Canillo Revives 80-Year-Old Ossa de Caselles Dance Tradition
The iconic Ossa de Caselles performance, absent since 1942, returns during Festa Major del Vilar in Canillo parish, featuring local theatre actors.
Key Points
- Event starts 4pm with mass, Iñaki Barrocal show, then 5pm Ossa dance by Animal Escola de Teatre actors.
- Historically, 'ossa' bear greets churchgoers, dances first with young women, then men and community.
- Major conseller Jordi Alcobé calls it reclaiming shared history for the long term.
- Open invitation to residents and visitors for the Saturday revival.
Canillo parish is set to revive the Ossa de Caselles, one of its most iconic traditions, on Saturday during the Festa Major del Vilar. The performance, absent since 1942, will take place outside the church of Sant Joan de Caselles and feature actors from the Animal Escola de Teatre.
The day's events begin at 4pm with a solemn mass, followed by a show by Iñaki Barrocal. At 5pm, the Ossa de Caselles dance will commence, highlighting the area's cultural heritage and collective memory.
Historically, the "ossa" – a figure representing a bear – would greet parishioners as they left the church, starting the dance first with the young women, then the men, and finally involving the entire community, according to details from the local council.
Canillo's major conseller, Jordi Alcobé, described the revival as a way to reclaim shared history and restore an ancient local custom for the long term.
Organisers have invited residents and visitors to join this unique historical event.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: