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September 14th • Tradition & Rivalry

Cascamorras

Every September, the Spanish towns of Guadix and Baza engage in a 500-year-old rivalry known as Cascamorras. A man from Guadix, dressed in a colorful jester-like outfit, travels to Baza to try and steal a religious statue. Thousands of Baza locals wait for him, armed with buckets of black paint and grease, aiming to cover him from head to toe. If he remains clean, he can take the statue—but he never does. Today, we debate the psychology of historical rivalries, the meaning of harmless chaos, and whether these festivals are a waste of resources or a vital part of community identity.

Crowds covered in black paint during a festival

Speaking Discussion

  • What is your initial reaction to the Cascamorras festival? Does it look like fun, or just a messy disaster?
  • Why do you think neighbouring towns often maintain fierce, historical rivalries? Is this healthy for a community?
  • In your country, is there a festival where people get incredibly dirty (using food, paint, or mud)? Why do we enjoy this?
  • If you were the cascamorras man, how would you try to stay clean while thousands of people tried to paint you black?
  • Do you think these kinds of festivals are a waste of food and resources, or are they essential for keeping history alive?
  • If your hometown was going to start a new bizarre tradition today, what would the main activity be?

Activity 1: The town rivalry Peace Treaty

The Task: You are the Mayor of Guadix. You are tired of the paint and grease. You want to propose a new, clean competition to replace Cascamorras.

What is your new idea, and how will you convince the traditionalists to support it?

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Sentences

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The best thing about a local rivalry is..."
  • "I think getting messy in public is..."
  • "In my opinion, historical traditions are..."