Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Martinez | NAVSTA Rota held a Feria Master Class and Flamenco show March 17, 2023. Instructors...... read more read more
Spring brings beautiful things to our lives, and one of them is, of course, Feria. Feria is history, culture, fashion and art. Feria has been part of Andalucía for almost two centuries and it has become one of the most important aspects of our culture known by the rest of the world.
If you came to the flamenco show that Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota and the city of Rota organized together, you learned all the important information about feria. If you did not attend the event, I will share with you some facts and tips; however, just remember that feria is all about having fun, dancing, eating and spending time with the people we love.
Sevillanas. The fact that the word “sevillanas” to call this type of dance was officially added to the Spanish dictionary in 1884 gives us an idea of how old this dance is. A sevillana is a song that consists of four parts, and one dance for each part. It does not matter what song you are listening to, the dance is always the same. Once you learn how to dance sevillanas, you will never want to stop dancing. If you still do not know how to dance sevillanas and you go to a caseta full of Spaniards, they will make sure you know all the steps before you go home. Find a dance partner, let yourself go and have fun!
Flamenco Dress. People from other countries always picture a woman wearing a flamenco dress when they think about something typical from Spain, and, like many other typical Spanish things, this one is also from Andalucía. The flamenco dress is the only regional costume in Spain that follows fashion trends, so many people try to buy a new one every year. However, please keep in mind that you do not need to buy a new dress every year, that you do not need to wear a different dress each day and, in fact, you do not need to wear a flamenco dress at all. Sometimes a polka dots dress or a flower on your hair will give you the feria look you are looking for. When it comes to what to wear for feria, there is only one thing you cannot forget: wear comfortable shoes!
Casetas. The way casetas function varies depending on the city. If you go to Sevilla for Feria, you will only be allowed to go to the few public casetas or the private casetas that you are invited to. However, this will not be a problem if you go to feria in Rota or other cities in the area – they are open to everybody!
Food. The feria menu is very similar in every caseta: fried peppers, fried fish, jamón, montaditos (sandwiches)… and, of course, the food is accompanied by wine, in this case manzanilla (a dry white wine) or rebujito (manzanilla with soda). You will also find several fast food or churro stands around the feria grounds that are opened almost all night – that way you can get some energy back after all that dancing when you go home at six in the morning!
Times. Time does not exist during feria. You will find yourself sleeping at weird times and eating at even weirder times. You just do what you want to do when you want to do it. The only important thing to keep in mind is that there will not be a single soul at Feria before 1300.
Transportation. Parking might be difficult to find during feria so it is better to avoid driving. Luckily, bus and taxi services increase during feria and buses run all night long. You do not have an excuse to drive, especially after drinking all that rebujito!
More important information:
-It is recommended to always bring cash because the bus, the amusement rides and some casetas do not take credit cards.
-Feria is a safe place with police presence and medical services in case of need.
-Feria is also a place for children with plenty of fun rides and activities for them. There is one special day for children in Rota (Thursday) and they can get two tickets for the price of one for all the rides.
-Thursday is also women´s day. If you are a married woman with children, go have fun in feria with your female friends and tell your husband to take the children to the 2x1 rides.
Almost every city in the area celebrates its own feria and luckily, they do not overlap, so we have plenty of opportunities to enjoy this festival!
POSTER
Every year, the city of Rota offers the opportunity to local artists to design the poster for Feria; and every year, people are expectant to see who the lucky winner is. Posters have changed considerably throughout the years and the design has become more and more modern. Posters are a legacy that this festivity leaves for future generation; therefore, some artists want their posters to send a message that will be remembered forever. This year, Rota’s poster celebrates diversity and inclusion, as a way to show that feria is a place for everybody.
VOCABULARY
• Cacharritos: Feria rides
• Rebujito: typical feria drink (manzanilla with soda)
• Jarra: pitcher
• Sevillanas: typical feria dance
• Caseta: Feria tents/bars
• Albero: yellow sand on the feria grounds
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.26.2023 08:29 |
| Story ID: | 443386 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 413 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Feria Is All We Need: Feria Season Has Arrived in Andalucia!, by Alejandra Tirapu Lucero, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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