MARCH

In March in Barcelona you can really tell you are leaving behind Winter, maybe is not so much the temperatures, as they are not completly warm they go from 45 º F at night to to 64º F in the midle of the day (from 8 to 18 in Celsius), but more because of the lenght of the day, we have many more hours of light tan in Winter. In this March we are not expecting many rainy days either, at least not in the first half of the month.

Also we have in March funny activities, maybe they are not a enough reason to visit Barcelona but if you are already in the city in those days it is a good oportunity to see local traditions.

On the 3rd of March there is a popular parade with horses, charriots and floats in Honor of Sant Medir (Saint Emetherius), since 1828, year in which a bakerman that was cured of an illness thanks to this saint, decided to go in procession to Sant Medir hermitage up in the hills north of Barcelona, every year that day there is this popular parade, 6 tones of candy are thrown to people who go to see that.

For me one of the nicest tradition in Barcelona is the one that takes place on the week end of 21-23 of March, that day 65 owners of vintage cars (before 1926) get together in a set place in Barcelona to go to Sitges which is a coastal village 35 kilometers south of the city, they drive on a bending road along the sea and they must be dressed as in the old times as they will have an “elegance contest”. On Monday they also go together to visit an emblematic catalan site. Even if you are not here that week end, from the 3rd to 21st of March you can see 6 of those cars exhibited in a popular shopping center in Barcelona.

Then in March there are two events related to beer. One of them is not really a catalan tradition, but it so happen that Barcelona is full with Irish pubs, so in Saint Patick day (17th of March) there are little parties in all those pubs.

Also in March, on the 13th to 15th weekend we have what is called the Barcelona Beer Festival, this year takes place in a big hall where you can taste 646 artisan beers and of course you can pair beer with one of the exquisite food options available.
And for those of you who likes pastry, this month is the month of the “buñuelos”, a round, soft dove with sugar on top or cream inside.

FEBRUARY

February appears in the mind of many people as a dark and cold month, it is not the case in Barcelona. Regarding temperatures we will start the month with temperatures like spring, 21º C (70ºF) in the midle of the day, then the temperatures will go back to normal for the time of the year, but this is not too bad either, average temperature in Barcelona in Winter is 9 C which is 50 F, in the midle of the day many days we have 14 C (58 F), we may have some rain too but in Barcelona does not rain much, about 80 rainy days a year. About light, I like February, days start getting longer and we have more hours of light, it is like nature is getting ready for a change. About the length of the day there is a funny saying like many we have in Spain that relates the Saint of the day with weather, crops or nature it goes “Por San Blas una hora y mas” which means in Saint Blaise day (3rd of February) days are one hour longer or more. So this brings a kind of nice perspective of longer days with more light and the idea that by the end of the month winter will be over, or almost.
Another interesting day in February is the 14th, Saint Valentine’s day or “Dia de los enamorados” as we say in Spain, now internationally known, so also recognized and celebrated in a cosmopolitan city as it is Barcelona, although to tell you the true for the purest Catalonians citizens (people from the region which capital is Barcelona), and for many people in Barcelona too, the best day to show your love to your dearest one is the day of Saint George (Sant Jordi in Catalan) which is the 23rd of April, that day men give roses to women and women give books to men, so the streets of all the cities and villages of Catalonia are full with roses and books.

Another intersting event going on in February is Carnival week, this year is between the 20th and 26th, being the main day, the day of the parades and the disguising, on Tuesday the 25th. Now most of the cities organize parades with floats, confeti and people disguised, Barcelona is not so popular for having a big parade, but it is Sitges, 30 kms (20 miles) south of the city, very easy going by train, many young people from Barcelona go there for the big party and then they come back by train on Wednesday morning.

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