Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Traditions die hard

Some readers of this blog may be wondering why on earth did they raffle pigs in Bigastro last Sunday. You have to remember that the town’s roots are in agriculture and farming. Before the construction boom, the fields would have formed the main source of employment for bigastrense.

Many of the streets in the older parts of the town have houses that face directly onto the road. There is no reason for people to have a front garden so the outdoor space is normally at the rear. That is where they would grow vegetables and where they kept livestock – still do.

Hens are the most popular because they provide a supply of eggs but other animals can be found as well. Many of the townsfolk still harbour the myth that you need a cockrel to ensure continuous laying but in fact that is not true. Still, a cockrel performs the function of an alarm clock so I suppose they serve a purpose.

The other popular birds that people keep are canaries which you often find in cages on balconies and of course pigeons which are bred for racing but that is another story.

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