Clean, fixed and gives splendor. False and authenticity in the patrimonial representations of the party

The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical reflection on the heritage representations of the fiesta in the light of anthropological theory, ethnographic practice and my direct involvement in patrimonialization processes. I show, through some ethnographic vignettes, the production process of an idealized and sweetened image of the fiesta as a hygienist operation and outline some of the local responses to these images, which do not necessarily correspond to the multiple festive experiences of the participants. In conclusion, it affirms that the greatest virtue of ethnography, as a cultural representation system, when it comes to intangible cultural heritage, is its complexity and its capacity to analytically address the problem of representation in its own representations.