Verbena (fair)
Encyclopedia
In Spanish
-speaking cultures, a verbena is a country fair, modest amusement park
, or a dance party, especially one held at night. An old tradition, they usually take place after dark in the summer. Nowadays some major cities (such as Barcelona
) have locations that attempt to be permanent verbenas, but these inevitably have less of the character of the tradition than those which appear for only a few days a year.
A larger contemporary verbena would feature mechanical amusement ride
s, side show
attractions, and usually some sort of gambling
. Typical verbena food includes churro
s, ham, cheese, marzipan, candied egg yolks ("yemas"), candied quince
("membrillo"), sugared fruits, and the like, although in recent years miscellaneous modern junk food
s have been finding their way into the mix. There are always alcoholic beverage
s, usually Spanish wine
, sangría
and lager beer.
There will usually be music and dancing, either on an organized or spontaneous basis. In recent years, recorded popular music
, rock music
, and even karaoke
have found their way into the verbenas, but in Andalusia
and sometimes even beyond, verbenas are still dominated by flamenco
or other traditional music.http://www.travelnet.co.il/espagne/menu/TheEntertainmentinSpain.htm, http://www.hectorocio.com/fiestas.html
While the musicians take a break, a runner carrying fireworks ("toro de fuego
") may dash into the crowd.
The word verbena comes without alteration from Latin
. The term originally referred to the plant verbena
, from which the term for a fair derives. http://www.elalmanaque.com/Ecologia/verbena.htm
(Spanish operetta
) pieces in the género chico
("smaller genre") is La Verbena de la Paloma
("The Fair of the Dove") set at a verbena on the night of the Virgin of the Paloma, August 14 http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2003/Oct03/breton.htm; it was also made into a 1963 movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057641/
There is also a 1939 film called Verbena Tragica
( also known as Tragic Festival).
The song Verbena de San Cayetano http://ingeb.org/songs/versanca.html celebrates a verbena in Madrid
.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking cultures, a verbena is a country fair, modest amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, or a dance party, especially one held at night. An old tradition, they usually take place after dark in the summer. Nowadays some major cities (such as Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
) have locations that attempt to be permanent verbenas, but these inevitably have less of the character of the tradition than those which appear for only a few days a year.
A larger contemporary verbena would feature mechanical amusement ride
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s, side show
Side Show
Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...
attractions, and usually some sort of gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
. Typical verbena food includes churro
Churro
A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack that has disputed origins. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. There are two types of churros in Spain....
s, ham, cheese, marzipan, candied egg yolks ("yemas"), candied quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
("membrillo"), sugared fruits, and the like, although in recent years miscellaneous modern junk food
Junk food
Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...
s have been finding their way into the mix. There are always alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s, usually Spanish wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, sangría
Sangría
Sangria is a wine punch typical of Spain and Portugal, also consumed in Argentina and Uruguay. It normally consists of a wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy. To be specific, a wine is a light, dry, young, high acid, unoaked, inexpensive wine, usually red wine due...
and lager beer.
There will usually be music and dancing, either on an organized or spontaneous basis. In recent years, recorded popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and even karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
have found their way into the verbenas, but in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
and sometimes even beyond, verbenas are still dominated by flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
or other traditional music.http://www.travelnet.co.il/espagne/menu/TheEntertainmentinSpain.htm, http://www.hectorocio.com/fiestas.html
While the musicians take a break, a runner carrying fireworks ("toro de fuego
Toro de fuego
A toro de fuego is a festive activity in which a bull-resembling metal frame, with fireworks attached to it, is set alight, and then a person carrying the frame runs around town at night as if chasing people in the streets...
") may dash into the crowd.
The word verbena comes without alteration from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. The term originally referred to the plant verbena
Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...
, from which the term for a fair derives. http://www.elalmanaque.com/Ecologia/verbena.htm
Artistic representation
One of the most famous zarzuelaZarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
(Spanish operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
) pieces in the género chico
Género chico
Género chico is a Spanish genre of short light musical plays. It is a subgenre of zarzuela, the Spanish operetta...
("smaller genre") is La Verbena de la Paloma
La verbena de la Paloma
La verbena de la Paloma is a very successful 1894 zarzuela with libretto by Ricardo de la Vega and music by Tomás Bretón. It was adapted for the cinema in 1921 by José Buche, in 1935 by Benito Perojo and in 1963 by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia....
("The Fair of the Dove") set at a verbena on the night of the Virgin of the Paloma, August 14 http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2003/Oct03/breton.htm; it was also made into a 1963 movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057641/
There is also a 1939 film called Verbena Tragica
Verbena Tragica
Verbena Trágica is a 1939 film directed by Charles Lamont. The film was made in 1938 in both the English and Spanish languages....
( also known as Tragic Festival).
The song Verbena de San Cayetano http://ingeb.org/songs/versanca.html celebrates a verbena in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.