Problem
What do I wear to the fair at Dax in France? (Annual fair in August, with bull fights. If you missed this year, consider booking for next year.)
Answer
Tourists and locals buy red cravats and red belts to wear with white clothes. This creates a feeling of unity, jollity and festivity.
The website tells you to bring white clothes. People wear white trousers or shorts and white blouses. The red cravat you can buy with the words Dax La Feria is triangular. The red belt is a tie belt, a long oblong which you tie with a double knot and one end hanging down long.
At the bull fight when the fight ends the riders make the horses step sideways around the ring with the horses' heads towards the audience. The audience stand and wave the triangular red cravats.
Glossary
English - French - Spanish
English Fair / festival - French fête - Spanish la feria - Portuguese a festa / feira
Videos To Watch
You tube has a video of the opening ceremony in the bullring or arena, showing everybody waving red cravats and red and yellow flags:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR8XTKvJlyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR_Cc-5W47M&t=0s
This video shows the thousands of people in the street singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSzo73f_xtQ
The closing music is the song Vino Griego, meaning Greek Wine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87cAtrts5A0
Here are marching bands, folklore groups, a man wrapped in a tuba, what look like bagpipes carried by a band in black, musical instrument like wind up musical boxes operated by turning a handle (I once saw a busker in London's underground using one and thought, that's for me, don't have to learn to play music, just turn the handle, but the giant music box turned out to cost over £1000!) Resembles the Rio carnival, all costumes as well as music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYMkHs6Phy0
If you understand French, a video in the cathedral shows all the bands celebrating Mass, and the curé (vicar, curate?) explaining the gifts of cravats. I understood from the voice over and his response that he had given gifts of the red Dax cravats to everybody attending the mass, but at the video end it appears that people thanking him are tying around his neck cravats of green and other colours to reciprocate.
The festivities end with fireworks. Another video shows the fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTZOodACeiM
Information on museums, events and tourism in France:
http://www.dax-tourisme.com
http://uk.france.fr
Accommodation and attractions can also be found on
Tripadvisor
Google maps
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. I have several posts on Dax. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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