Culture Shock

Many areas of Spain have their own cultural traditions, but one of the most unique is the Catalonian tradition of bulding human castles, also known as castellers. The festivities take place several times a year as teams compete to see who can build the highest tower.

It begins with hundreds of people forming the base, or "pinya" as Spaniards call it. Then, they start lifting people up to form tiers until the casteller gradually gets narrower and narrower and reaches its peak. The final person to climb atop the tower, usually a young child, is known as the enxaneta. The pinnacle of the performance occurs when the enxaneta reaches the top and salutes. Afterwards, the others can start disassembling (or falling if that be the case).

Not all towers make it to the salute. Forming human castles can be quite dangerous as it requires a strong sense of balance. If the tower begins to wobble or shake, more than likely everyone will be coming down and if it collapses, all of its members fall into and on top of the crowd below.