La Merce is the most chief festival of the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It has been an official city holiday since 1871, when the local government first planned a program of special activities to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, La Mare de Deu de la Merce in Catalan. Even though the actual feast day is September 24th, the festivities begin a few days beforehand. Some of the most important facial appearance of the festival were introduced in the year 1902, when parades included papier mache giants known as gegants i capgrossos, the first Castell competition in the city, & a popular dance from Emporda that was becoming popular throughout Catalonia: the Sardana .The holiday has enjoyed enormous local popularity ever since.
