September 11th is a big deal in Catalunya and it has absolutely nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
This day sits deep in the hearts of Catalans and dates back to 1714, when Catalan forces, after 14 months, fell in the Siege of Barcelona during the final stage of the Spanish Succession War. Having to surrender to troops that fought on behalf of the royal Bourbon monarchy, Barcelona, and all of Catalonia lost their institutions and territorial rights that were governed by the now defunct Crown of Aragon.
This all started when the region chose to support the Archduke Charles of Austria of Habsburg, fame as the rightful owner to throne of Spain. The Spanish Borbones didn’t happen to agree and, by force, took to ruling over Spain with Philip V becoming the first Bourbon king of the country.
Today, Diada Nacional de Cataluyna also known as Diada de l’Onze de Setembre, in Catalonia is a day of recognition commemorating a valiant day in the history of the region. Citizens take to the streets draping the Catalan flag (called senyeres or estelades) on their backs singing the Catalan anthem, Els Segadors, which was declared the official national anthem of the region by the Catalan Parliament in 1993. It wasn’t till 1980, after Dictator Franco was dead and all the institutions reinstated, that it declared September 11th an official non-secular holiday in Catalonia. This came after 94 years, when the first recognized commemoration took place.
The day’s activities are a mixture of politics and pride. Traditionally, the heads of various political parties as well as local residents gather at the monument of Rafael Casanova making a symbolic offering of floral bouquets and Catalan flags in honor of his role in the Siege of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession.
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