Brotherhood of San Sebastian

The Brotherhood of San Sebastian is an entity in charge of organizing the Festa de Sant Sebastià del Pont de Suert. In 2011 he received the Creu de Sant Jordi. It was created in 1503 by the rector of Sirès after a strong epidemic in the town in order to bury the dead until a new cemetery with niches could be built. Since then it has about 400 male members, since the women, although they prepare the food, cannot participate, and they meet on January 19, 20 and 21 to celebrate a gastronomic festival on the day of San Sebastián, consisting of a dinner on the first day, the three meals on the second day and breakfast and lunch on the third day, with tasting of local meats (girella, lamb, carn d’olla, sopa de pa, freginat), and a gathering. Then the new priors are appointed, giving an apple to the two chosen people who will watch over and be in charge of organizing the following year’s feast, helped by the outgoing priors.

Although created in 1503, the statutes were not included in the so-called Llibre Vell until 1730, and its members are not only from the municipality, but also from all over the region. There were several types of brotherhoods: money, sheep, firewood, wheat and cleavage (they assumed possible deficits and participated in the profits), according to the contributions they made to the brotherhood.

The Brotherhood of San Sebastian has also been held in Barcelona since 1967 on the initiative of a group of people who are daughters of the town. The festival does not have as much echo as in Pont de Suert, but for the people of the town who live in Barcelona it is a way of honoring the patron saint of his town.

The celebration takes place on the Sunday before or after January 20, which is the festival in the village. The priors who are called each year are in charge of organizing the following year’s meeting. The events consist of the celebration of the Eucharist and a brotherhood lunch where one of the typical dishes of the area (the Girella) is present and new desserts. The number of attendees ranges from 100 to 150 people, but the tendency is to decrease since young people do not dare to participate in the festival, however in the village year after year the new generations are integrated into the festival. The Brotherhood of San Sebastian in Barcelona celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1992