The Elois festivity is celebrated in Berga, Spain on the fourth weekend of July. Traditionally, different worker groups would ride donkeys and horses through the streets to honor their patron saint, Eloi. Now, the general public also participates by riding the animals and getting sprayed with water by spectators, carrying on an old tradition where a priest would bless the animals. The weekend celebration includes a street band, the animals and riders parading around the city while being sprayed with water from balconies, a symbolic wedding in the church, handing out buns, and concluding with dancing in the town square.

1. ELOIS

2. “Els Elois” is a festivity
celebrated in Berga on
the fourth weekend of
July. The tradition says
that different groups of
workers ride donkeys
and horses around the
streets of the city to
celebrate the day of their
patron saint: Saint Eloi.

3. Today, not only the
workers can ride the
donkeys and the horses
and a lot of people join
them to enjoy the
festivity together. People
from Berga throw water
to them because, in the
past, the priest of the city
blessed the animals with
some holy water.

4. On Saturday, there is
a street band with the
“Tabaler”. He
announces the
festivity to the
citizens.

5. On Sunday, after
having breakfast, the
horses and donkeys
start their route
around the city.
People throw water
from the balconies.

6. Later, there is a
symbolic wedding in
Sant Francesc
church and they give
buns to everybody.

7. At the end people
dance “ballet
d’adéu” in Sant Joan
square.