Processional giants

Origins and history

The custom traces back to medieval religious pageants. In 1265, a Corpus Christi procession in Évora, Portugal, showcased large figures of a dragon, a snake and a demon to illustrate the moral challenges overcome by Christ. Early church processions relied on towering biblical characters to convey religious teachings to townspeople who could not read. Secular characters appeared around the same era, including three civic effigies recorded in Pamplona, Spain, in 1276. Belgian communities embraced the practice in the fifteenth century, producing Goliath of Nivelles by 1457. In England, the Salisbury Guild of Tailors maintained a giant representing Saint Christopher, which joined midsummer festivities by the sixteenth century.

Structure and performance

A traditional giant consists of a light structural frame made of timber or aluminium, draped in voluminous textiles. The head and hands are sculpted from wood, papier-mâché, carton-pierre plaster mixture, or modern polyester resin. To give the effigy dynamic motion, makers leave the fabric arms without rigid supports so they swing freely as the figure spins. A solo porter operates within the hollow interior, balancing the construction on shoulder harnesses. Guided by peepholes in the fabric or sculpted base, the carrier steps, tilts and twirls the giant to the rhythm of brass bands or drums. Figures frequently appear as matched couples, such as a noble pair or municipal archetypes.

Big heads and companion figures

Many parades pair tall giants with companion figures of normal height known in Spain as cabezudos. These performers wear oversized papier-mâché heads over matching clothing, looking through the mouth opening to find their way. While holding the heavy head steady with one hand, a cabezudo carries a whip or an inflated pig bladder in the other to playfully chase spectators and startle young onlookers. Similar full-head masks appear in English processions under the name of ninnies. Festivals also feature legendary regional creatures alongside the human effigies, including the carved hobby colt of Pézenas and the mythical Tarasque monster in southern France.

Regional traditions

Local styles thrive in different regions. Belgium maintains nearly 1,500 giants across its towns, including the ten-metre Jean Turpin of Nieuwpoort and historic pageants such as the Meyboom of Brussels and the Ducasse of Ath. Northern France counts over 450 figures, notably Douai's Gayant family and Cassel's Reuze Papa. In southern Italy, towns across Sicily and Calabria parade Mata and the warrior Grifone, who represent the legendary founding of Messina. Catalan towns celebrate with elaborate dances at the Patum of Berga and Barcelona's La Mercè feast, while the tradition extends overseas to the late nineteenth-century Higantes Festival in Angono, Philippines.

How Processional giants is kept

During a town celebration, volunteer porters shoulder the heavy frames and bring the giants into the streets. Accompanied by marching bands, drummers and flautists, the giants advance along the parade route, stopping at squares to perform choreographed turns and bouncing dances. Flanking the giants, costumed cabezudos with oversized heads weave through the crowd, teasing children and chasing young spectators with whips or bladders. Community members gather along the sidewalks, watching the figures interact, dance in pairs, and escort civic or religious processions across town.

When and where

Processions take place on designated municipal holidays, summer festivals and Christian feast days throughout the year. Notable dates include Corpus Christi, Midsummer on the eve of Saint John the Baptist's Day, autumn festivals like La Mercè in Barcelona or the Fiestas del Pilar in Zaragoza, and November's Higantes Festival in Angono.

The custom is widely practiced across Western Europe, particularly in Belgium, northern France, Portugal, Spain and southern Italy. It also appears in English towns and in former Spanish territories such as the Philippines and parts of Latin America.

What Processional giants means

The giants represent civic identity, local history and communal memory. Early religious effigies portrayed biblical figures and vanquished evils to teach church doctrines to illiterate congregations. Over centuries, communities created figures representing legendary founders, Christian and Moorish nobles, or local working archetypes like woodcutters and peasants, turning the figures into symbols of regional pride and collective resilience.

Questions people ask about Processional giants

See also

ChristmasA festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsHalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageValentine's DayA Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Christmas treeA decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.

Good reading and sources

• Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and FranceUNESCO, Heritage listing
• BBC - A History of the WorldBBC, Article
• Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and FranceUNESCO, Article
• BBC - A History of the WorldBBC, Article

• Processional giant on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.