CATALONIA'S NATIONAL DAY IS HELD ON 11TH SEPTEMBER

CATALUNYA 11 September 2012.

CATALONIA'S NATIONAL DAY IS HELD ON 11TH SEPTEMBER

On 11 September 1714 Barcelona felt to the Spanish army in the War of the Spanish succession, a national disaster that led to the loss of all Catalan institutions. It's now remembered as Catalan national day, being a date for serious national reaffirmation and demonstrations with Catalan flags displayed on balconies.

ANAR A INICI

Catalonia's national day: 11 Setembre. September.
Catalonia's national anthem: Els Segadors. The reapers.
Catalonia's national language: el Català.
Catalonia's national dance: la Sardana.
Catalonia's national icon: els Castells. Human towers.
Catalonia's worldwide icon: BARÇA. FC-Barçelona.
Catalonia's capital city: Barcelona.

Catalonia's main political parties.

CDC Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya. Right-wing party.
UDC Unió Democràtica de Catalunya. Right-wing party.
PSC Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya. Left-wing party.
ERC Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. Pro-independence party.

Catalonia's VIP.

Antoni Gaudi. Architect
Joan Miró. Painter
Antoni Tàpies. Painter
Josep Pla. Writer
Salvador Espriu. Writer/poet
Mercè Rodoreda. Writer
Jacint Verdaguer. Poet
Josep Vicenç Foix. Poet
Martí Pol. Poet
Joan Maragall. Poet
Silvia Munt. Actress
Núria Espert. Actress
Beth. Pop singer.
Lluís Llach. Folk Singer
Josep Carreras. Opera singer
Montserrat Caballé. Opera singer
Pep Guardiola. Footballer
Gemma Mengual. Swimmer

ELS SEGADORS CATALONIA'S NATIONAL ANTHEM

ELS SAGADORS The reapers

Catalunya triomfant,
Catalonia triumphant
tornarà a ser rica i plena.
will again be rich and important.
Endarrere aquesta gent
Keep back these people,
tan ufana i tan superba.
who are so conceited and so arrogant.

Bon cop de falç!
Strike with your sickle!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
Strike with your sickle, defenders of the land!
Bon cop de falç!
Strike with your sickle!

Ara és hora, segadors.
Now is the time, reapers.
Ara és hora d'estar alerta.
Now is the time to be alert.
Per quan vingui un altre juny,
For when another June comes,
esmolem ben bé les eines.
let's sharpen well our tools.

Bon cop de falç!
Strike with your sickle!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
Strike with your sickle defenders of the land!
Bon cop de falç!
Strike with your sickle!

Que tremoli l'enemic,
May the enemy tremble,
en veient la nostra ensenya.
Upon seeing our symbol.
Com fem caure espigues d'or,
Just as we mow golden ears of wheat,
quan convé seguem cadenes.
when the time calls we cut off chains.

Bon cop de falç!
strike with your sickle
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
strike with your sickle defenders of the land
Bon cop de falç!
strike with your sickle!

CATALONIA'S EROTIC ANTHEM

Catalonia's national anthem was inspired by an erotic ballad sung by the Reapers that went on to become a song to rally the troops in 1640.

Els Segadors national anthem originates in an erotic ballad that was transformed into a battled cry around 1640. At the end of 19th century. Frances Alió put the War lyrics that Jacint Verdaguer's mother used to sing the melody from the erotic ballad given him by Jaume Collell. The lyrics of today version, that spread with the advent of rail travel were written by Emili Guanyavents i Jané.

Catalonia's national anthem.
Els Segadors is a song that has heard in taverns, in discos, on battlefields and even on TV programs. To trace the history of the anthem, however, we need to go back 400 years, to a time when gangs of reapers were hired every year to bring the harvest. These agricultural workers, no doubt to lighten the mood, would indulge in singing ballads. One such was a versions of Els Segadors, but instead of calling on their fellows to snatch up their sickles to defend the homeland, the song claims that real task of a reapers is to be beneath an apron. The erotic ditty, particularly popular in the Pyrenees, become increasingly well-known, albeit with different melodies, until at some point it began its transformation into what would eventually be toady’s version.

The song began its metamorphosis thanks to a series of political developments. With the events of the Corpus de sang in 1640, and the beginning of a revolt against the king, the need for a rallying anthem to spread the word of rebellion was needed and some unknown composer decided to base the new patriotic song call to arm on the old erotic ballad because an erotic ballad was a guarantee that the new song would be sung.

However, this still does not bring us to the song we know today. How the improvised ballad evolved into a full-blown anthem is due to the persistence of the oral tradition and the mother of the poet, Jacint Verdaguer, Josefa Santaló. She sing a song about misfortunes of the reapers' war in the second half of the 19th century, her song began to compile traditional songs, which included the ballad that would one day represent nation’s hopes. In 1892, Frances Alió published his melody version of Els Segadors and in 1897, Emili Guanyavents wrote the definitive lyrics for Els Segadors.

The Catalan government adopted "Els Segadors" as the anthem of Catalonia in 1993.

In 1980 a commission set up to go about establishing Els Segadors as the national anthem, although it took until 1993 before it was legally reconsigned. At a later date, in 2006, it was recognized by the estatut.