FESTIVAL OF THE MARZAS
To celebrate the traditional round and singing of the Marzas, the City Council of Burgos organizes and sponsors this festival, under the artistic, technical, and coordination direction of the Comité de Folclore Ciudad de Burgos (Burgos City Folklore Committee).
Throughout its forty-three editions, this emblematic festival—initiated in 1983—has become one of the most representative events in the cultural calendar of Burgos. It should be noted that it was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the early years, the festival was organized by the Municipal Dulzaina School, under the direction of the folklorist Mr. Justo del Río Velasco. Later, the responsibility passed to the group Danzas Burgalesas Justo del Río, and since 1987 the Comité de Folclore Ciudad de Burgos has been in charge of its production, sponsored in all its editions by the City Council of Burgos.
The festival features the participation of groups belonging to the Comité de Folclore Ciudad de Burgos. In recent editions, groups from other regions and provinces that also preserve the Marzas tradition have been invited as well.
The festival is a grand stage event involving folk groups from the city, bringing together more than 350 dancers and musicians. It is a celebration dedicated to keeping our traditions alive through dance, song, and music.
The performance begins with the traditional singing of the Marzas, followed by a showcase of different expressions of Castilian cultural heritage.
The Marzas: Origin and Meaning
The Marzas are traditional petition songs performed by young men on the night of the last day of February. That night, the marzantes—groups of young men—go through the streets of the village at dusk or midnight to ask for offerings, usually eggs, chorizo, blood sausage, or other pork products, which are later used to prepare a communal meal.
This meal, depending on what has been collected, may take place that same night or on the following days.
The Marzas are one of the oldest and most symbolic traditions of the popular festive cycle in Castile. They are celebrated on the night of February 28 to March 1, marking the transition from winter to spring.
The name comes from the month of March (Martius in Latin), when in the ancient Roman calendar the beginning of the new year was commemorated.
In essence, the Marzas are ritual songs to welcome the new month, the agricultural cycle, and the renewal of nature. Traditionally, they were performed by groups of young men who went through the village singing verses and asking for rewards in the form of food or wine.
Roots and Historical Evolution
The origin of the Marzas dates back to pre-Christian agrarian rites of the northern Iberian Peninsula. Various ethnographic and philological sources agree that they were celebrations linked to solar worship and fertility of the land.
The seasonal change, the awakening of nature, and the hope for good harvests were the symbolic axes of these rites.
In ancient Rome, the month of March was dedicated to Mars, the god of war, but also protector of the fields. The beginning of the agricultural year coincided with this month, and in many communities processions and songs were performed to bring good omens.
The ancient invocations to natural forces were reinterpreted in a religious key, although many of their symbols—fire, music, offerings, and wishes for fertility—were preserved, adapted to the new spirituality.
For centuries, the Marzas were also a rite of passage and a communal celebration. The young men, organized in groups, went house to house to welcome the new season and collect food for a communal meal or supper.
In this way, the Marzas strengthened social bonds, reinforced community belonging, and kept symbolic communication alive between generations.
Geographic Distribution and Variants
The Marzas tradition is deeply rooted in Burgos and Cantabria, although it also survives in some areas of Asturias, León, Palencia, Soria, Valladolid, Segovia, and Biscay, and there are even records of its practice in parts of Salamanca and Ourense.
In the province of Burgos, two main forms of performance can be distinguished: one typical of the northern area and another of the southern area.
Its singing has been recorded in 117 northern and 159 southern towns, making a total of 276 villages where this tradition remains alive.
In Burgos, the celebration takes place on the night of February 28 to March 1, the dates that define the most authentic sense of the Marzas. There are also structurally similar variants, such as the songs of Reyes (Epiphany) or Águedas.
In many villages of Burgos, Cantabria, and Palencia, the young men would gather days before to rehearse the marzas verses, clean their instruments, and plan the route.
The group, made up of a dozen or more young men, was led by the marzero mayor or guide, responsible for starting the songs.
During the round, at nightfall, the marzeros walked through the streets to the sound of cowbells, tambourines, or zambombas, stopping in front of the main houses to ask permission with the traditional formula:
“Shall we sing or pray, or shall we go away?”
If the owners agreed, verses of greeting and good wishes were sung, followed by others about love, fertility, or Christian morality.
In return, the neighbors would offer chorizo, blood sausage, eggs, bread, wine, or money, which were collected in baskets for the later communal meal or supper—the marzada—a time of fellowship and symbolic farewell to winter, accompanied by dancing, improvised verses, and games.
Structure and Musical Style
The marzas verses are usually composed of eight-syllable lines, grouped into quatrains or quintillas with consonant or assonant rhyme. Their tone is simple and popular, similar to the romance, alternating verses of greeting, request, and farewell.
Classic Burgos example:
Flowering March, be welcome,
May God grant you grace, health, and shelter.
Give us the wine, give us the sausage,
For we are singing to welcome spring.
The main themes of the Marzas are:
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The welcome to the month of March and spring.
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Wishes for prosperity and fertility for fields and livestock.
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Petitions for offerings (wine, bread, chorizo, eggs).
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Compliments and jokes directed at neighbors.
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Religious invocations in more recent versions.
Musically, the melodies feature:
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Binary or ternary rhythms (usually 2/4 or 3/4 time).
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Modal scales with pentatonic turns.
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Choral performance in several voices, with a soloist who begins and the group responding.
Preservation and Modern Relevance
During the 20th century, the Marzas experienced a gradual decline due to rural depopulation, changing customs, and the loss of oral transmission.
However, since the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a significant revival thanks to the efforts of cultural associations, municipalities, and traditional music schools.
In some cases, the groups wear traditional costumes, carry lanterns, and accompany the singing with folk instruments.
The Marzas are a symbol of Castilian and Burgos identity. They convey values of cooperation, respect for nature, historical memory, and local pride.
Their inclusion in school programs and their presence in folklore festivals help keep this valuable intangible heritage alive.
UNESCO, through its Intangible Cultural Heritage program, promotes precisely the preservation of such expressions for their communal function and symbolic richness.
Sources and Linguistic Recognition
The first written reference to the word marzas dates back to 1847, when Pascual Madoz’s Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Dictionary of Spain described a fair held in San Verísimo de Celanova (Ourense) on Saint Rosendo’s Day, March 1.
The word first appeared in a Spanish dictionary in 1910, with two meanings:
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Verse sung by young men through village houses on Christmas Eve, New Year’s, or Epiphany.
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A gift of lard, blood sausage, etc., given to the marzantes for singing or praying.
Today, the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy) defines marzas as:
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Popular songs in praise of spring.
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A gift of lard, blood sausage, etc., given to the marzantes.
Conclusion
The Marzas are one of the oldest and most complete expressions of traditional Castilian culture, they combine song, poetry, ritual, and social gathering.
Through their verses, the people have preserved a symbolic language that celebrates the rebirth of time, friendship, and collective hope.
Their revival and annual celebration demonstrate the enduring commitment to preserve cultural roots and keep alive the traditions that for centuries united rural communities.
