La Diada – National Day of Catalonia

The National Day of Catalonia, also known as La Diada. It is a public holiday in the region of Catalonia and takes place every year on the 11th of September.

During this day Catalans commemorate the fall of Barcelona at the hands of the Castilian forces. After fourteen months of siege during the War of the Spanish Succession, Barcelona fell on September 11, 1714. This victory led to the abolition of Catalan institutions after the promulgation of the Decrees of Nova Planta, in 1716. The event is considered the first commemoration of the fall of Barcelona. It also commemorates those who died fighting Philip of Bourbon, martyrs of the defence of Catalan liberties.

The Parliament of Catalonia declared the day Catalan National Day in its first law after its re-establishment, in 1980. During this day, waves of pride and emotion swept the Catalan region. A strong sentiment that is beautiful to experience.

Throughout the day many events take place. A spirit of celebration animates concerts and information stalls. Many citizens hang a flag or a star on their balcony. They also sing the very beautiful anthem of Catalonia, Els Segadors. You can also attend readings of Catalan poems, music and traditional Catalan dance performances.

Since 2004, the main event of La Diada has been an institutional event held by the Generalitat de Catalunya. It takes place in the Parc de la Ciutadella near to ARC DE TRIUMF. Each year, the event features guest artists who join the celebration with their music.

La Diada 2020

This year, La Diada 2020 will look different. In order to avoid crowds and prevent the spread of coronavirus. La Diada, organised by the ANC and Òmnium Cultural, will combine a physical and a virtual celebrations.

The ANC and Òmnium celebrations will also include a solidarity format. In fact, they will use XARXAINDEPENDENCIA.CAT, a platform to raise money to face the social and economic emergency of the country. The initiative consists of buying a QR code that will give access to various links. There will be five blocks that will correspond to five different areas, such as health and culture. It will also allow people to decide where their donation will go.

Remember that as it is a public holiday you will find most shops closed. However, many cafes and restaurants remain open during this day.

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