THE PALILLADAS

The " palilladas ", also called " schools ", were women's meetings in the house of one of them to make bobbin lace. Their origin is ignored, but it is known that those go back to several centuries. They are typical of the areas in those that laces were made -the Camariñas district- or linen was spun.  

These meetings began in the month of September and concluded in March, so that they coincided with the time of smaller agricultural activity; they were made from Monday to Saturday and they occupied the whole day until the dawn.

On Sundays the school was scrubbed and the lace makers got used to wash the bobbin and to fill them without stopping for not losing time during the week.

Lace makers of all the ages attended to these happenings and to the small girls, so that doesn't lose the time going home, their mothers took the food to the palillada.

All the women were directed by one of the oldest. They placed a wooden bank in the center of the room and they sat down in the floor, with the crossed legs and supporting the pillows in the bank.

The palilleira -lace maker- that was engaged was located in a corner with a bank so that can speak with its lover. The oldest, to those that one had great respect, they sat down to a side of the bank and the youngest in front of them, being habit in many palilladas that the mothers sit down beside their daughters.

To the lace makers that were devoted entirely to the work of the fitting, they were called " home lovers " because they didn't have to assist to agricultural works or the animals ; those that only lived off the works of the earth could make lace at night or when it was bad weather.

Almost all the lace makers made a task that they have to finish in the day, it consisted on a certain number of pieces. Some old women remember the diverse punishments to that they were subjected if they didn't finish their work and in many occasions they worked until the dawn.

One of the main reasons that justified the existence of these palilladas was the energy saving; for that time it was used the carbide light or the lamp of gas that they paid among all the women. These sources of light disappeared with the arrival of the electric power. In some palilladas the women that were located more near the light had to pay more than the other ones. On the other hand, the lace maker works more being in company and they were also taken out the dream some to others. They were traditional the long conversations and to sing diverse ballads.

In spite of being difficult times there were also moments for the amusement. The youths had their day of going on dates -different days according to the villages - and they were organized dances during the whole season, being those most known ones those of carnival. The music was played with tambourine and accordion and muiñeiras, mazurkas, paso doble, waltzes and Galician jotas were danced, and when there were not instruments they used shells, tablespoons or bottles of anisette.

Before beginning the dance the boys were outside, they sang a ballad and the lace makers responded them from inside the room.
When the boys were already inside, the lace makers sang infantile songs to invite them to dance and play.

The palilladas governed, in certain way, the daily life of the district, and they have remained until our days and although they have lost their old nature partly, they continue being an encounter point for the lace makers and a school for the beginners.