The faixa is a traditional Catalan clothing accessory. It is a waist sash made of a long piece of cloth, similar to a

sash A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, bu ...

. It is worn around the waist and wraps around several times. During the 19th century, the farmers and artisans wore it to warm up the kidneys and to protect the lumbar area during the work in the fields. The bourgeois used to wear it as a sign of power, with different colours and 3 meters long. Nowadays, it is present in many traditional dances and festivals. This garment was common in Catalan and Occitan.{{in lang, ca}
Indumentària occitana al segle XIX
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Catalonian traditional uses

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

they use the "faixa" for their traditional dances and spectacles: * Castellers: It is an essential part for the Casteller activity. It is almost always black, with different lengths and widths, depending on the age, height and weight of the person who wears it. It is worn at the height of the kidneys and it has 2 functions: to protect the lumbar region of the back against on the weight and movements of the structure, and to be use as a support point for other climbers to use to climb up and down. *

Sardana The ''sardana'' (; plural ''sardanes'' in Catalan) is a Catalan musical genre typical of Catalan culture and danced in circle following a set of steps. The dance was originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity throughou ...

: an optional clothing item for male sardanistes *

Falcons Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

: (Catalan version of the Czech

sokol The Sokol movement (, ''falcon'') is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of " a strong mind in a so ...

gymnastic demonstration sport) The faixa is used to differentiate the teams by coloring. It also serves to protect the lumbar region and to assist with the various figures.

Gallery

Casteller_col·locant-se_la_faixa.jpg, Casteller putting on a faixa Vestuari casteller.jpg, Casteller wearing a faixa Sardanes.jpg, Sardanes Falcons Festa Major del Clot Camp de l'Arpa 2009 Barcelona.jpg, Falcons Molinets dels Falcons de Vilanova.jpg, Falcons performing

References

Sashes Shawls and wraps Catalan culture Spanish clothing