Processional giant
| Processional giant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Lightweight materials such as papier maché |
| Present location | Europe and Latin America |
Processional giants are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English folkloric processions. The main feature of these figures is typically their wooden, papier maché or -more recently- synthetic resin head, whilst bodies are covered in clothing matching the costume's theme.
Several such processions are recognised by UNESCO as forms of intangible cultural heritage, including Belgian and French processional giants listed as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (as part of the binational listing of 'Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France') or Spain's Catalonia region Patum de Berga.