Belle Fourche is my favorite place to be in July. Southern France, where I am spending the summer is nice, but I miss the Belle Fourche 4th of July ambience, the sights, sounds and smells. I miss cotton candy, country music, fresh hay, horses, cowboy boots, rodeo events and all the pageantry. I miss the parade, the carnival, the magnificent fireworks, and the opportunity to catch up with visitors, friends, neighbors and especially kids I taught in Newell.
In France, there are plenty of celebrations that involve singing, dancing, parades, fireworks, and even bonfires, but it’s not quite the same as being in Belle Fourche.
Here in Southern France, he annual ‘fete of St. Eloi’ is a good example of a French regional celebration that made me feel a little more at home. ‘Fete’ means celebration. ‘St. Eloi’ is a real saint born around 650 A.D. known for metal craftsmanship, honesty, and charitable works. Saints are kind of a big thing here.
Anyway, the ‘Fete of St. Eloi’ is celebrated in Catalonia sometime around the summer solstice, June 21. Catalonia is a region that included a part of Spain and a part of Southern France. It comprises a large area, 12,399 miles and has a population of 8,005,784. People in Catalonia have a rich culture, and a unique language. Those who claim Catalonian heritage appear to be very serious about keeping their traditions and culture.
Many Catalonians want independence from Spain and France and want to form their own government. So far that has not worked out. Catalonia has never been a country on its own. The Catalonian resolve for independence has gone on for several generations and has resulted in some contentious skirmishes.
Back to the ‘fete of St. Eloi’ The event begins with a parade on a Saturday morning. The entourage led by donkeys begins the parade. Each donkey is adorned in Catalon regalia, yellow and red pompoms attached to their harnesses, heralded with long sashesof red and yellow. These are the colors of the Catalan flag. The red symbolizes blood and the yellow the battlefield.
The donkeys are led by men in Catalan traditional costume and on each donkey is a child or young adult also in traditional costume.
The entourage is accompanied by a Catalan marching band with instruments that look like variations of oboes and horns. The entourage includes children and women also in traditional costumes. Many of them carry baskets of bread and rolls. They make their way to the church where the parish priest meets the group outside and blesses them in a ceremony, while onlookers snap photos. The baskets with bread and rolls are left as an offering at the church. Later in the day there is traditional dancing, and more music.
People of Catalan heritage known for their stubbornness. The donkeys seem like an appropriate symbol. The children, mules and bread rolls symbolize prosperity. The ‘fete of St. Eloi is an entertaining, declaration of nationalism and pageantry. It reminded me of Belle Fourche, where horses dress up very nicely for parades, and children are treasured.
