August 15th and 16th are two of the big hot spots in the festive calendar of the Catalan Countries: it is when most summer festivals are celebrated. Why do we celebrate this date so much? It has a religious origin, but the agricultural calendar and the dynamics of traditional society also weigh in. From the Mare de Déu d’Agost to Sant Roc –including his inseparable dog–, these dates have accumulated traditions and meanings over the centuries. Th…