Sant Roc, a village vow
From August 14th to 16th, the Sant Roc festival arrives in Arenys de Mar!
One of the first acts of the Saint Roc’s festival in Arenys de Mar, is the crowded night parade of giants, carry out on several streets of the town, on the evening of August 14, in a magical atmosphere, full of music, dances and fun.
On August 15th, the town revives the arrival of the plague to Arenys de Mar, which, for some hours, travels at the end of the sixteenth century, becomes the town of Santa Maria of Arenys.
On August 16th, Saint Roc Festival, the macips and the macipes (young boys and girls dressed in white and red) roam the streets and private houses of the town, soaking everyone in their bags of perfumed water to the cry of “Glorious Sant Roc”! In this way, the renewal of the town vow, which is done to the saint by the end of the terrible epidemic that has taken place, takes place.
On July 13th, 2021, the Government of Catalonia has declared the Sant Roc Festival as a Heritage Festival of National Interest. This is the highest degree of protection of the intangible heritage of popular and traditional Catalan culture. The unique features of this celebration so deeply rooted in the festive calendar of Arenys de Mar people make it a reference festival in the regional and national context.
For all this, and due to the traditional and unique nature of the events, the Sant Roc Festival has been declared a Heritage Festival of National Interest.
