"F" FOR “FOLIXA” (FUN)

 

When referring to people from Oviedo, they say: “Xente d'Uviéu, tambor y gaita” (People of Oviedo, drums and bagpipes), an obvious reference to the folixa or fun one can find throughout the year. The answer the people of Oviedo give also displays their character, people who will not remain silent: “Y los de alrededor, gaita y tambor” (And the people from the vicinity, bagpipes and drums).

Tradition and folklore have woven inescapable events into the calendar:

• In September, the festivity of San Mateo (St. Matthew).
• The Desarme takes place in October and, in autumn, the amagüestu.
• After Christmas and the Epiphany, Oviedo celebrates the Carnival or Antroxu.
• Then, in spring, we have the Feria de la Ascensión (Ascension Fair) and Martes de Campo (Field Tuesday).
• And the bonfire of San Xuan marks the arrival of summer, a season packed with “fiestas de prao” and romerías (outdoor parties) in neighbourhoods and villages.