Solidaridad, sociabilidad y comensalidad en el ciclo festivo asturiano (1850-1936)

Abstract

Commensality has always played a prominent role in the search for the group affirmation that occurs during the celebration of festivals and other entertainment events of a peasantry against its most traditional. These events promote the practice of hospitality —especially through the banquet becoming anything that comes to a stimulator of social networks—, and excess is opposed to a daily dedicated to saving. In any case, rural celebrations begin to change to make way for contemporary leisure. Significantly, for example, that although the pilgrimages maintained their traditional appearance be organized with a clear commercial purpose.

Traditional Asturian community functioned largely linked to circuitry neighbourhood mutual help: the andechas. Revolved around them a large body of folk elements, and were jobs that were associated with recreational events. This circumstance would eventually degenerate into a competition between families when organizing the banquet, wich will lose its character of reciprocity and social and economic returns. Eat and drink, finally, it would still make an appearance in the traditions that maked rites of passage of life.