L’ou com balla is one of those traditions to which we Barcelonians have become accustomed and that, however, seen from the outside, are a resounding extravagance. For several days an egg “dances” on the vertical jet of a fountain, keeping its balance without falling. The tradition, which dates back to 1637, is one of the stars of Barcelona’s Corpus Christi, a festival held 60 days after Palm Sunday, and which in 2022, after two years of pandemic, celebrated the 700th anniversary of its first celebration.
One of the best known acts of this festival is L’ou com balla, a custom that has an uncertain origin but is undoubtedly one of the most deeply rooted traditions of the city.
What is the origin of l’Ou com balla?
As the City Council’s popular culture website explains,the ritual first appears documented in 1440 in the story books of the Obreria de la Seu, where an annotation talks about the expenses to fix the chapel for the Corpus Christi festival and, in addition, records the cost of a batch of eggs for the spring.
However, beyond this, there are few other certainties, and it is not known whether this tradition, typical of Corpus Christi, predates it or not. One of the theories goes back to the similarities between l’ou com balla and the water games played by the Muslims in the springs of the inner courtyards of their houses, since one of these games would consist, precisely, in swinging a little ball over the stream of water from a fountain.
Another theory speaks of the Italian origin of the tradition. From an Italian Dominican friar who would have imported l’uovo che danzava to a Neapolitan custom that arrived in the city at the time of King Alfonso the Magnanimous.
Its meaning is not well known either. Some say that the egg and the water represent the Eucharistic host and the chalice, closing the chain of symbolism that celebrates the dogma of the incarnation of Jesus in bread and wine or who sees a metaphor for the fullness of spring, with the egg and the springs decorated with flowers symbolizing fertility.
Where to see l’ou com balla in Barcelona
This year there are dozens of places to see the ou com balla in the city, check this article to know where to find them.