filandón: pronounced Fee-lahn-DON, sustantivu (noun). A winter social gathering, initially an evening ritual for women in rural Asturias while spinning the fibers of yarn or linen at the farmstead. From the Asturian ‘filar’, to twist out the wool into thread. While spinning, the attendants would engage in storytelling or singing, thus the modern usage of filandón as a folk music gig.
By extension, a filandón can also imply a small informal get-together or winter potluck, when Asturians and Galicians in the countryside are often homebound due to heavy rainfall or snow. A get-together with neighbors after dinner to tell jokes, recount legends or play cards. Sometimes, a filandón can lead to dancing.
The venue was often a large traditional kitchen with a hearth (l.lariega in West Asturias, lareira in the Galician-speaking westernmost Asturias and llar in Central Asturias).
Synonyms at meeting, convention, conference, powwow, congregation, symposium, forum, ball, bash, celebration, dance, function, party or shindig.
Usage examples:
Anueite hubo un filandón de la de mi madre en Ca Xuacu. (There was a huge shindig at Xuacu’s house last night)
El xueves 18 d’outubre axuntámonos no Casinu de La Puela (Ayande) pa un filandón. (On Thursday, October 18, we will get together at El Casinu in La Puela for a gig)
Folk saying:
En filandones, faramalla y perdones; n’esfoyaces, faramalla y corbates. (To a filandón, take your guilt and petty concerns; to an esfoyaza, take your necktie…and your petty concerns.)[/b]
filandón – gig – tertulia
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filandón – gig – tertulia
Last edited by is on Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:26 am, edited 3 times in total.