Ranxo de Vidreres

The Ranxo de Vidreres is the most important festival and tradition of this municipality in La Selva. It is a collective and massive escudella that the ranchers cook communally. In the Lluís Companys square, dozens of 100-liter pots simmer to feed thousands of attendees at the popular lunch, one of the most prominent and crowded in Catalonia.

This festival has its origins in an ancient tradition according to which feudal lords or wealthy neighbors offered a bowl of hot broth to the neediest people before the start of Lent.

The day before, on Monday, members of the Ranch Committee and the ranchers go around the houses and shops of the town to collect the ingredients provided by the residents: vegetables, chickpeas, potatoes, poultry, and sausages. On Carnival Tuesday, at dawn, the bonfires are lit in the square. Around noon, after the official blessing, the rancho is distributed free of charge among thousands of residents and visitors, who line up with their casseroles and lunch boxes.

The municipality is part of the Federation of Escudelles, Ranches, and Historical Soups of Catalonia, founded in 2018 with the aim of preserving and protecting these centuries-old community meals that are celebrated throughout the territory.