Heat scorches Spain and the European nation finds an old, traditional hack to find some comfort

As another punishing summer sends temperatures soaring across Spain, an old-fashioned accessory is making a striking comeback: the traditional folding hand fan, or abanico.

From crowded subway cars and sun-baked plazas to concerts and music festivals, Spaniards are increasingly turning to the simple fan for relief. Small enough to slip into a purse or pocket, the abanico opens into a semicircle with a quick flick of the wrist and produces a surprisingly effective breeze.

The revival has crossed generations — and gender lines. Women and a growing number of men have been seen using fans on public transport and at public events. During Madrid's Pride celebrations in July, rainbow-coloured fans were a common sight.


The timing is hardly surprising. Successive heat waves across Western Europe have pushed temperatures to punishing levels this summer. Madrid, for instance, is forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) on Thursday and Friday.

Ana Feliu, 20, was recently using a paper abanico to shield herself from the sun near Madrid's Puerta del Sol. She said she carries the fan everywhere during summer.

"This one is my favorite, but I have many," she told The Associated Press.

David Gonzalez, 53, was also fanning himself nearby with an abanico decorated in pink, purple and red.

"At first, I felt a little self-conscious, because it's something that's mainly associated with women, but I have to admit it serves a purpose - and it brightens my day," he said.

From Asia to a Spanish symbol

The folding fan's story stretches far beyond Spain. Historians believe it reached Europe through Portuguese maritime trade with Asia during the 15th and 16th centuries.

By the mid-17th century, the fan had appeared in European art, including Spanish painter Diego Velazquez's enigmatic The Lady with a Fan, in which a woman, possibly French, holds what appears to be a delicate wooden fan.

Spain eventually developed its own fan-making tradition. Madrid became an important production centre, while Valencia emerged as the country's fan-making capital by the 18th century.

By the 19th century, the abanico had become deeply embedded in Spanish aristocratic culture. Women used fans as a discreet means of communicating flirtation, interest or disapproval in what became known as "the language of the fan."

The accessory later travelled from Spain to Latin America, while flamenco dancers adopted the fan as an expressive prop. Its association with flamenco ultimately helped cement the abanico as a quintessential Spanish symbol.

"The fan is a perfect element because, on the one hand, it evokes the heat and humidity of Cuba - that heavy, oppressive feeling," said Carmen Torres, a 44-year-old flamenco dancer in southern Spain. "And at the same time, it gives us a way to bring out the seductive, coquettish quality."

Heat waves give old trade a lift

For some Spanish fan sellers, the latest revival is also good business.

Javier Llerandi's family has operated Casa de Diego, a wood-panelled Madrid shop, for more than 150 years.

"We live from the heat," Llerandi told the AP.

The shop sells fans made in Spain, ranging from basic wooden designs to elaborate hand-painted pieces made with mother-of-pearl and detailed floral patterns. Prices begin at around 30 euros ($35), while more elaborate fans can cost between 200 and 500 euros (up to $580). Some high-end pieces reach 6,000 euros (nearly $7,000), with workmanship and materials determining the price.

Tourists have also become important customers as Madrid's popularity has grown.

Llerandi argues that traditional fans have one advantage over portable electric ones: they do not need batteries.

"Battery-run items eventually run out of power, and always at the worst possible moment," he said, adding with a smile: "Without a doubt, heat waves are good for this business."

For shoppers looking for something cheaper, souvenir kiosks sell plastic fans with printed designs for just a few euros. Sellers at such stalls have also reported strong demand this summer.

Outside a Madrid bullfighting ring, Juani Duran sells wooden fans with traditional floral designs for five euros each. With bullfights held in open-air stadiums and spectators traditionally dressing up for them, the fan remains both practical and stylish.

"You'll usually find a hand fan in any woman's pocket - and in some men's, too," Duran said ahead of a late-August bullfight.

"They're not the best quality," she said, pointing at her stock, "but they'll get you through the summer."

(Inputs from AP)