02/28/2025
L'Aplec de Sant Esteve is the town of Caldes de Malavella's festivity honoring the Caldean patron saint, Saint Maurice.
The most important event of the gathering is the Hereu Riera dance or stick dance, which is traditionally danced with sticks around a container of wine. Legend has it that Maurici had a girlfriend, Seclina, who fell ill. Seeing his fiancée on the verge of death, the protagonist prayed to God to improve Seclina's health and the girl immediately recovered. To celebrate, Maurici took down the cross of the Saint and started dancing around it, and from there came the Hereu Riera dance.
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