After the proclamation on Friday night and Saturday's kermesse, on Sunday as the most marked day, with mass in honor of the patron saint (San Bernardo), international folkloric festival, a memorable float parade chaired by the queen of the holidays and a crowded party weekend «El prau» (the Parque de la Concordia), where thousands of people celebrate together with the parragueses an Asturian pilgrimage in its purest state; an espicha in a big way that has «Bollu preñau», cider and good humor as main protagonists.
The calendar of this party is simple at the same time unforgettable. It's about having fun in a hundred percent Asturian climate. The celebration reflects like no other the typical pilgrimage of the Principality: the behavior patterns of the Asturians and their hospitality, the traditional ways of life, including crafts, dance, music, regional sociability seasoned with cider and good food. All this gives the Bollu Festival a great ethnographic and cultural value as well as the purely playful.
The Bollu preñau itself, which gives its name to the party, is the festive food par excellence in Asturias. There is no "prau" party worth its salt that doesn't count on him. The bollu or bun is a piece of bread chorizo stuffing or bacon. The chorizo must be Asturian, with a strong paprika flavor, which gives the true gastronomic character to this unparalleled sandwich. The "culín" of cider to accompany him, of course pouring with an expert arm and just temperance.
The locals, with a strong cider tradition, pour non-stop and expertly. We can see it in the parade of floats with which folixa begins. There is no gang or rock in which the glass does not stop circulating from hand to hand. Children, young people and adults are dressed in regional costumes to make the parade through the streets of Arriondas more substantial. The culetes and the songs accompany the procession to the prau where the bollu awaits them, as well as other delicacies and family and friends... after the verbena stretches until dawn.
The next day, Monday, is celebrated The Bollín, great closing party with games and a great cake for the little ones and distribution of the "Preoll Boot" for all members.
The epicenter of this this party is the Barrio The Peruyal, a place collected within the urban center of Arriondas, where in the year 1949 a handful of founders launched the idea of this celebration. Few could imagine that over the years the society of celebrations "La Peruyal" became one of the most important cultural groups and with the largest number of partners in Asturias, since it is integrated by practically all of the parragueses and also by those who being away from their council continue to miss it day after day. On the occasion of the Fiesta del Bollu, this society publishes annually a highly anticipated magazine, which includes local information, history, events, news, anecdotes, as well as contributing to the knowledge and dissemination of topics related to science and culture and collect an important "graphic history" of Arriondas and Parres throughout the past century.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
