Jornadas de la Matanza
The slaughter and butchering of a pig is may not be at the top of every tourist’s must see list, but the “slaughter weekends” represent a celebration of the role the porker plays in the Spanish diet.
In the heart of scarcely populated Soria province, a trip to El Burgo de Osma makes for behind-the-scenes visit to this part of Castile-Leon.
On weekends from January 18 to April 13, 2014, the town of Burgo de Osma in the province of Soria, hosts Matanza del Cerdo. This event maintains an ancestral tradition that is deep-rooted in many rural areas of the region, where whole families come together around a table to slaughter a pig. This age-old ritual, which leads to the traditional production of ham, blood pudding, chorizo sausage, pork loin and other cured meats is, at the same time, a day of communion and brotherhood.
The whole process is described and explained to visitors who come to the town for the event. After the slaughter and a visit to the Pork Museum, there is a meal based around pork meat and its many derived products. Folk groups, bagpipe players and a host of local characters make the day even more enjoyable.
