One of the figures in Catalan traditional festivities like festes majors are these big-headed characters. They are called different names depending on the area: cabeçuts, capgrossos, cabuts, cabets, caparrots, nanos or nanets. All these words derive from the concepts of "big head" or "short person", since that's their most iconic characteristic.

They're hollow paper-mache figures where the dancer puts their head in, and sees through the figure's mouth. They dance usually cheerful songs and greet the people who are watching, particularly children.

The figures can represent stereotypical people from the town (a school child, a rich man, a priest, a farmer, a heiress, etc), local historical or legendary people (nobles, pirates, etc), or just silly people. In some places, if someone from the town/city becomes famous or does something very good for the town, people can choose to make a capgròs that represents them.

If I'm not mistaken, this figures also exist in Basque culture, where they are called buruhandiak or kilikiliak (am I right, @beautiful-basque-country?)

Video by Agrupació de Balls Populars de Sitges taken in the national meet-up of cabeçuts from around Catalonia.

Es Castellàs del Caparrot de Forma

Es Castellàs del Caparrot de Forma

Habitación cuadrada situada en el interior del recinto fortificado

El conjunto arqueológico de Es Castellàs de Es Caparrot de Forma está formado por una fortificación o muralla y una necrópolis de hipogeos.

Una gran muralla formada por un paramento de grandes piedras cierra el istmo que da acceso al cabo costero, formando una especie de bastión o fortificación que cierra el Caparrot. En el…

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EL PES D’UNA MARE

Al mon et dur sofrint de plaer./ T’alleta i t’acarona; t’abitua l’oida,/ l’olfacte, la vista, el tacte...rès m´es?/ T’educa, t/ensenya el món/ per un forat esguerrat/ que a tú, et toca adreçar/ si no vols veuret atrapat/ pel joc desigual del més animal./ Ella ja avisa, ja, però no caus/ dins la veritat, estás capficat.../ ets sord, mut, cec, destarotat,/ fins que de debò, et colpeixen.../ ¡Ah! aquest dia, sols començes/ a veure-hi un poc més que abans/ i a la mare clames que t’ajudi/ amb llàgrimes als ulls, donant la raó/ a les santes paraules que ella sembrà/ dins el teu caparrot de ninot.

Necròpolis prehistòrica de Caparrot de Forma (en Es Canutells)

CAPS i CAPARROTS [10/08/2017 @caçadorsdemopis]

Es Castellàs des Caparrot de Forma, només pel nom ja val la pena #necropolis #menorcaTalaiotica #menorca (at Es Canutells)

Preparations for the Sant Antoni festivity in Sa Pobla, Mallorca (Balearic Islands). Video by Som illencs on Instagram.

Sant Antoni (Saint Anthony's Day, 17th January) is a traditional festivity celebrated in many parts of the Catalan Countries with different elements related to the saint, often with the story of how Saint Anthony fought the demons.

In Mallorca, the most iconic element of this holiday is the demons. Each town has its own traditional costumes and caparrots (big hollow heads to be worn) worn by the people who represent the demons, who will dance around the town to the sound of traditional music.

A few weeks before the festivity, they start preparing. In the video you can see people from Sa Pobla playing traditional music and singing a song about Saint Anthony's story while walking to the church, where the people who will be the demons next year are decided through a raffle (many people want to be the demons and there's not place to allow everyone).

Necròpolis prehistòrica de Caparrot de Forma (en Es Canutells)