La Feria Sevillana!

A long over due post but hopefully worth the wait. About 2 weeks ago THE event of the year took place here in Seville. The Feria de Abril (the fair of April). Now I know that a fair doesn't sound like any kind of social event that would be highly anticipated. But this is Spain, and Seville to be more precise. Things are different here and of course there wouldn't be so much fan fare if this weren't a big deal. Allow me to compare and contrast the fairs I've been to in the states and the feria of Seville.

As you can see the feria is not a fair at all. It's so much more here. According to my host dad,  originally, it was just a way for businessmen to close deals. They would shake hands and then go to these casetas and drink on the deal they had just settled. Later it just blossomed into what it's known for today: the party of the year. Anyone who is anyone and everyone in Seville is at Feria. At first I was a little nervous, my host dad basically told me that I wouldn't have fun as an outsider because I wouldn't have access to a caseta and it's really only something that Sevillanos would understand. And I heard that from other people too. But I decided to go atleast one day.

Casetas: Cardboard house-like tents that are the center of the action. They can be the size of a small room or as big as 5 or 6 rooms put together. Generally there is at least a small wood dance floor and a bar, with or without food. These are what make the feria so important. All of the important people have one of these. Or atleast everyone has access to one. Most of them are private so you can't enter without an invitation or being on the list. There are also private casetas but they are generally crowded and sometimes considered dangerous (haven't had experience with this).

Rebujitos: This is the drink of the feria. The more traditional drink is manzanilla, which is a very strong, cheap sherry. Older people drink it straight but the more popular way is rebujito. All this is is half manzanilla and half sprite or some kind of lemon soda. They mix well together to make a refreshing and smooth drink. You buy it by the pitcher because it's feria and everyone shares. It's relatively cheap although it varied from caseta to caseta from 7-12 euros ($10-18ish). This isn't that much when you share with atleast 2 or 3 other people. Anymore than 4 people per pitcher is a waste of a pitcher because you don't really get that much. The cups you drink this out of are small shotglass style cups, another way to lose track of how much you're drinking.

Traje flamenca: This is probably the most expensive and interesting part of the entire feria. This is the only time you'll ever see Spanish women looking...tacky. Maybe not tacky but atleast gaudy. But they still look great. These dresses are tight in all the right places and make everyone from toddlers to grandmas look like they have amazing curves. These dresses are custom fitted and most times custom made in vibrant colors. Most dresses have multiple colors and polka dots (my fave) are very common. No dress really looks the same and the socialites (with casetas) always have to have atleast 2 or 3. They pile on the make-up, red lipstick is a must. And the hair pieces can only be described as heavy. Of course I love it but the hair is usually a braid or bun decorated with hair combs and a huge flower, as big as your face, right on top of your head.