Arbúcies Festival of Enramades Walk across a carpet of flowers
In Roman times, with the arrival of spring, the houses were decorated with flowers and herbs. The festivals of the Enramades or bowers continue this tradition, covering the streets with carpets of flowers to celebrate Corpus Christi. One of the most prominent festivals of the Enramades is in Arbúcies, which already appears in documentation from the 16th century and was declared a traditional Festival of National Interest in 1999. It is celebrated during the eight days of the Corpus Christi festival.
In its beginnings, branches were placed in front of the houses, so that the whole street would be covered with garlands made of leaves and flowers. Hence the name "enramades" or bowers. Today the branches and garlands have been replaced by paper and plastic flags. However, what has lasted up to the present day are the carpets of flowers that were used to decorate the streets along which the solemn Corpus Christi procession passed. The women and children would gather flowers from the woods during the vigil and would scatter them on Corpus Christi day itself. During the post-war period (1947), they started to make drawings and designs with the flower petals.
Until the last century, the Festival of the Enramades in Arbúcies had a strong religious flavour. The procession, led by the passage of the Blessed Sacrament, was the main element of the traditional celebration. Since 1977, it has been replaced by a parade with giants, pipers, floats and other festive elements. The main event of the secular celebration is the dance that each district performs in the most representative style.
Plan your visit
What can I do?
Currently, the carpets are made on the Sunday before Corpus Christi and are authentic works of ephemeral art.