The local culture remained suppressed until the 19th century, during a period of widespread national awakening in Europe. Galicia voted for autonomy in 1936, but the nascent Franco dictatorship crushed those ambitions brutally. Galicia finally restored a degree of autonomy in 1980 following the downfall of the dictatorship, and at that point established its current political structure (Celtia.info, 2004).
During the periods of Galician nationalism, the connection to the Celtic world remained one of the hallmarks of Galician culture, as it was something that no other Spanish people could claim. In the Galician highlands, people still lived in Celtic-style thatched huts up until the 1970s. Recent years have brought about reconnection between Galicia and the other Celtic nations. Traditional Galician music has strong Celtic influences, and these influences are also found in jewelery, clothing, druid legends, and fortified Iron Age villages (DeLopez, no date).
Galician cuisine can be characterized as simple but hearty. Along the coast, Galician meals are based around seafood. The province is a major producer of shellfish, which figure prominently. Galicians eat mussels, oysters, clams, octopus and gooseneck barnacles. Empanadas are also popular. Vegetables often come from small family plots. Potatoes are among the most common. A common hearty stew is caldo gallego. The region's signature cheese is San Simon, is a mild, smoked cow's milk cheese (Jenkins, 1996). The province has a couple of traditional wine styles. A strong liquor called orujo is made from the residue from wine production. Queimada is made from orujo, lemon peel,...
The region's isolation has gifted it with a unique history, coupled with distinctive language, clothing and cuisine. Since the fall of the dictatorship in 1975, Galicia has seen an emergence of nationalism. This has resulted in increased government autonomy and a resurgence of interest in the province's Celtic history. Today, however, Galicia remains one of the least-developed corners of the European Union.
Works Cited
No author. (1999). History of the Galician Language. Lycos Spain. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://usuarios.lycos.es/Celtic_Galiza/galegoh.html
No author. (2005). Galician Culture. Galicia Guide. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://www.galiciaguide.com/Culture-index.html
No author. (2004). Galicia. Celtia.info. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://www.celtia.info/country/galicia/
DeLopez, Marie J. (no date). Exploring Celtic Galicia. USA Garrison Hessen. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://www.usaghessen.eur.army.mil/hunion/Travel/Exploring%20Celtic%20Galicia.htm
Sierra, Tony & Sierra, Lisa. (2009) Spanish Regional Cuisine - Galicia. About.com. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://spanishfood.about.com/od/spanishregionalcuisines/a/galicia.htm
Jenkins, Stephen. (1996). Stephen Jenkin's Cheese Primer. Workman Publising, New York, 1996.
Alvarez, Delmi. (2009). Global: Galician Diaspora 1989-2009. Gaia Photos. Retrieved February 15, 2009 at http://www.gaia-photos.com/global-galician-diaspora
