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In the Photos of the Readers of La Vanguardia we have attended the rehearsals of the Patum Infantil in Les Guites. They last two weeks, days in which the boys and girls of the city of Berga learn the different dances of the celebration. That is why it is considered a “school of patumaires”.
The Children’s Patum is celebrated on Corpus Christi Friday, although the activity of the little Berguedans begins much earlier with rehearsals.
On Corpus Christi Friday, the boys and girls of Berga represent their own Patum in the Plaza de Sant Pere. In reality, it consists of the same elements as that represented by adults, but smaller in size.
In the morning, the Children’s Patum begins with a walk through the streets of Berga and, at noon and in the afternoon, there are performances of La Patum de Lluïment and La Patum completa with all its accompaniments: Tabal, Turks and Cavallets, Maces and Angels, Guites, Aliga, Old Dwarfs, Giants, New Dwarfs, Plens and Tirabols..
The Patum de Berga is a traditional and popular festival that is celebrated during the Corpus Christi festival. It consists of different representations on the street with the presence of fire, pyrotechnics and elements of religious origin.
In 1983 it was declared a Heritage Festival of national interest by the Generalitat of Catalonia and, on November 25, 2005, it was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. And it is intangible cultural heritage of Spain.
