No public fiesta

For obvious reasons the main fiesta in Valle Gran Rey around Epiphany, which is always celebrated at the chapel above El Guro, will be closed to the public and the popular all-night dancing, etc., has been cancelled. Only the religious part of the fiesta is being held with a select few participants on January 6th and 7th 2021, and can be followed by the public on the town hall's Facebook page. 

Above is an image which I took during the procession around the church in El Guro in 2018, when this spectacle was still being followed by music and general merriment until the early hours of next morning. To find out more about this important fiesta and how it is being celebrated in normal times read 'The Great Fiesta' (click)...

Epiphany fiesta programme 2019

In Spain and some Latin American countries, the 6th of January is called El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings). It marks the day when the Three Kings or Magi, as related in the second chapter of the gospel of Matthew, arrived to worship and bring their gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star in the sky.  In Spanish tradition on January 6th (Epiphany) the kings  Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar (representing Arabia, the Orient, and Africa) arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Children (and many adults) polish and leave their shoes ready for the Kings' presents before they go to bed on the eve of January 6. The next morning presents will appear under their shoes as the kings  take the role of Santa Claus here. Most towns in Spain arrange colorful parades representing the arrival of the Reyes Magos to town a day or two before, so children can see them on their camels or carriages and hand them letters listing their wishes.  Wine, snacks, fruit and milk are left for the Kings and their camels. In Spain, children typically receive presents on this day, rather than on Christmas day, though this tradition has changed a bit in recent years, and children now receive presents on both days.

In Valle Gran Rey the Kings begin their tour in the mountain village of Las Hayas on Jan. 5th at late afternoon and then continue through all the villages and barrios of the valley to collect the letters addressed to them with their wish list.

V.G.R.'s oldest church is in El Guro and dedicated to Los Reyes. Every year the Fiesta de Los Reyes in honour of them takes place there and this year the proceedings begin on Jan. 6th when the 'Ramo' (an elaborate offering of local agricultural produce) is made in the morning at the cultural centre in La Calera, from where the procession to the chapel of Los Reyes starts at midday with the typical dance steps and chants. After arrival there's a mass in the chapel in El Guro followed by folk music and later dancing to the usual salsa bands and general partying until the early hours of the following day. The usual food and drink stalls will have plenty of stock...

Folk festival in Playa de Santiago this Sunday

New crown, new year

As part of the VII Bajada Fiestas, the statue of Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes receiced a new golden crown during the open air mass before the folklore festival at the bus station yesterday. A first for me: 'Attending' mass while drinking beer at the bar, from where I took these images.

By the way, the main New Year's Eve fiesta of Valle Gran Rey takes place in La Playa this year. There are fiestas to count in the new year in the main towns of all the municipal areas of La Gomera with the usual salsa bands and open air dancing tonight, but there will be lots of other parties, too...

Yesterday's open air mass

Folk Fiesta

This Saturday, 30th Dec. 2017, there will be a day of Canary Islands folk music held in honour of Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes with four participating folklore groups from Tenerife, Lanzarote, and La Gomera and is part of the VII Bajada fiesta. The event is free of charge and will start around midday behind the bus station near the bridge in La Calera, Valle Gran Rey.

...and she's going down again

The great fiesta continues and so do the processions. Just a short while ago Nuestra Sñora de Los Reyes passed over the bridge in Valle Gran Rey to spend a while in the lower parts of the valley east of it, continuing her BAJADA of 2017/18 program (click for more). Apologies for the poor quality mobile phone images.

Bang, bang, here she comes

After having been processed through all the mountain villages of Valle Gran Rey, Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes arrived back in the lower Valley last night where she will have a well deserved rest in the little chapel in El Chorro (La Calera)  before continuing down to the next large fiesta in La Playa. All is part of the bajada, the great fiesta which goes on until Jan. 8th 2018. As usual, there was a feast spread out for all those attending the event and exploding rockets illuminated the night sky, welcoming her with with loud bangs amplified by the surrounding cliffs. Sorry about the shaky image, but more rockets were exploding close behind me...

Colourful pageant tonight plus concert and dancing

Tonight a spectacular pageant will be staged at 8 pm in the harbour of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey re-enacting of the arrival of the medieval painting above many years ago.

According to local lore a foreign merchant brig or a pirate sailing ship (depending on the narrator) anchored in the the natural harbour of Valle Gran Rey and the sailors rowed ashore urgently looking for provisions and water, sometime in the middle of the last millennium. The area was very sparsely populated in those days, and the the locals were very poor but they made the sailors welcome and brought goats cheese, honey, water and more to provision the ship. They were promised the religious painting  above in return for the goods and a feast to celebrate the deal was held on the beach.

When the locals were asleep the sailors re-took the painting and tried to steal away, but the previously calm weather suddenly changed to continuously stormy weather that made it impossible for their ship to leave the bay. They eventually repented and  returned the painting to the locals, praying to be forgiven. Miraculously the weather immediately calmed again and they could continue their journey. 

The much venerated image has since been housed in the oldest church in Valle Gran Rey up in El Guro, and the valuable medieval painting is the focal point of the 'VII Bajada' fiesta which officially starts tomorrow (see: The Great Fiesta begins).

The pageant will be directly followed by a concert on the pier entitled 'Cabañuelas en La Gomera' featuring Pedro Manuel Afonso from Gran Canaria. After that there'll be salsa bands and dancing 'til late...well, early morning more likely.

The great fiesta begins

...here in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera with a special fiesta of our patron saint 'Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes' in earnest this weekend and will continue until the 7th of January 2018 ! 'Los Reyes' (Epiphany) is also the celebration of Christmas in the Canaries and X-mas presents are given on that day, Jan. 6th. 

This year It is the 'bajada' which is celebrated only every 5 years and means that the image and the statue of the saint is going to be taken from the church in El Guro to be processed through every hamlet and part of the parish and staying temporarily in many different churches and chapels. Some associated events like a torch run have already taken place in preparation for the month-long event.

The processions are noisy affairs with loud firecrackers being shot into the air along the route. A traditional dance is being performed by many worshippers during the processions, accompanied by 'chacaras y tambores', the former being a locally made very large type of castanets, of which there is a 'male' and a 'female', the 'female' having a slightly higher pitch. The 'tambores' are homemade goatskin drums with a muted snare sound.The percussion beats a steady, restrained rhythm that could put you almost into a trance.To all this the participants chant a repetitive song that has a distinctly North African feel and probably originates in pre-Christian times. So the processions go from place to place, stopping here and there for prayers, followed by shouts of 'VIVA...'

Ahead of the processions, and even ahead of the statue of the saint, the 'ramo' is being carried which is an artfully bound bouquet of fruit and vegetables of considerable weight, and even the fabrication of this offering is celebrated with music, food and drink by the volunteers and onlookers. 

Culture aside, the fiesta is a perfect occasion for just having a good time. The secular parts of the proceedings usually begin after mass and mostly start with Canarian folk music followed on stage by salsa and merengue bands  who play for the dancers and revellers until the early hours of the morning through professional (and loud) sound equipment, often even until the sun has risen. Stalls serve food and drink throughout the proceedings and young and old are having a party.

The main programme for the 'bajada' 2017/18 can be found here: VII Bajada

Carnival season 2017 in La Gomera

In the island's capital carnival has begun

The carnival poster of Playa de Santiago and Alajero

Carnival headquarter of VGR is in La Playa this year

Vallehermoso's carnival poster

La Gomera carnival season 2016 begins

Carnival time in the Canary Islands has begun and this is a huge event that doesn't exactly keep to the traditional carnival timetable. It may go on well after Ash Wednesday, even getting close to Easter some years, as each community stages their own and wants participants from neighbouring towns. The main events are in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria and in Santa Cruz on Tenerife, the latter being the second-largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro (see their 2016 programme)

The 2016 carnival season in La Gomera begins today in San Sebastian de La Gomera. Below is the programme of events in the island's capital and I will post information on the carnival in the remaining towns on La Gomera when available:

Carnival continues

While the carnival (see previous post) in La Gomera's capital is coming to an end, it is only starting in Valle Gran Rey tomorrow and yesterday it began in Vallehermoso. 

This photo of the main stage in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria I took on Saturday Feb. 7th 2015

Carnival time once again

Carnival time in the Canary Islands has begun and this is a huge event that doesn't exactly keep to the traditional carnival timetable. It goes on well after Ash Wednesday, even getting close to Easter some years, as each community stages their own and wants participants from neighbouring towns. The main events are in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria and in Santa Cruz on Tenerife, the latter being the second-largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro. In Santa Cruz this year's theme is 'Carnival of the Future' (see their 2015 programme in English).

But wherever you'll be in the Canaries over the next few weeks watch out for local posters and announcements. The actual parades and main events couldn't be missed anyway - the sights and sounds are obvious.

Each community end their festivities with the 'funeral of the sardine' when a large papier-mache sardine full of pyrotechnics  is burnt and pushed into the sea, accompanied by the wailing of 'grieving ladies', i.e. men dressed in women's black clothes.

In San Sebastian de La Gomera this year's carnival theme is 'India' with events starting next week, while Valle Gran Rey and Alajero with Playa Santiago start later (see posters below).The remaining towns here will have their own carnival as well, t.b.a.later.

Learn La Gomera's El Silbo for free

BUSUU.COM is offering free online courses to learn the whistled language unique to La Gomera and become silbador . Here's their Cannes-award winning promotional video:

Fiesta and more fiestas

Below are some impressions of the current main fiesta on La Gomera. This one is dedicated to the 'Virgin of Candelaria', the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Here on La Gomera it is celebrated in the mountain town of Chipude, the capital of La Gomera in olden times (now San Sebastian is the capital). Chipude boasts one of the nicest and oldest Christian village churches in the Canaries. This fiesta is one of the local highlights of the year and thousands flock to Chipude for the week-long celebrations. The photos below were taken in the afternoon heat - it really gets going much, much later when the cameras are forgotten and it continues until the 'wee' hours. By the way, this wasn't the only fiesta this weekend on this small island of just over 20.000 inhabitants and many more fiesta will be celebrated over the coming weeks and months. How do they survive all the fiestas over the year(s) ? Fiesta goers need two things: A flexible liver and a lenient bank manager - or vice versa.

Church of Chipude decorated for the fiesta

I'm a drummer,too, and I'd
love to be treated like this.
Red carpet and all... 

Pace yourselves, boys - it is still too hot

First dancers have more room, later on it'll be crammed

Backstage VIP gossip

Fiesta in full swing

                        

Here are some impressions (click to enlarge) of yesterday's daytime proceedings during the 5-day Fiesta del Carmen in the harbour of Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera (see Fiesta time)

Fiesta time

Summer time is fiesta time in the Canary Islands and next week it is the turn of the 'Fiesta del Carmen' which is celebrated in many seaside towns, harbours and fishing villages. This fiesta involves a procession by boat and here in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera, it is one of the major fiestas in the sheer endless fiesta calendar. It is celebrated in the port of Vueltas and lasts five days. The boat procession is on Tuesday, July 16th, from 5pm and you can join in the fun by just queueing for a place on one of the many participating boats, but be prepared to get wet - not only on the outside, 'cause the drink flows freely. There'll be a fireworks display in the harbour just before midnight on the same day, followed by salsa-dancing all night. Highlights on other days include children's amusements, a DJ night, folklore groups, etc. - click poster above.
For more about fiestas see my previous post The Great Fiesta

El Silbo featured in Daily Mail article and in video

La Gomera's whistled language El Silbo is featured in a recent article of the Daily Mail which includes the video below produced by the government of the Canaries. Read it HERE and see my previous post on the subject El Silbo - La Gomera's Unique Language

La Gomera's own Romeo and Juliet: Gara and Jonay

According to legend, on the Guanches festival Beñesmen the girls of La Gomera would go to the Epina jets to discover their future lover. If the reflected image was calm and clear, this meant that within the next 12 months they would find their love, but if the reflection was cloudy, no handsome lover would be shortly appearing on the horizon.

Gara was a beautiful princess from La Gomera, the place of water.  When she looked at her reflection her image was clear but then her face became a fiery sun and the water viciously bubbled and boiled – not good signs as it meant only disaster lay ahead.

For the Beñesmen festival the menceyes (Guanche royalty) travelled from Tenerife, the land of fire, to La Gomera to take part in the celebrations. The Mencey of Adeje was accompanied by his son, Prince Jonay, who took part in all the competitions and when Gara and Jonay saw each other they fell madly in love.

Legend tells how Jonay sailed his raft every day to the neighbouring island to visit his love, but their happiness was short lived. The great volcano on Tenerife began spewing out lava, the sea around La Gomera turned blood-red and the Epina jets prophecy was remembered. Gara and Jonay’s love was impossible, the fury of the volcano was confirmation that water and fire should not mix.

The couple’s parents forbade them to meet again and forced Jonay to return to Tenerife but Jonay couldn’t forget Gara. He needed to be with her. In the middle of the night, Jonay tied two inflated goats’ hides around his waist and swam across the sea. Exhausted but guided by his love for Gara he reached La Gomera.

Gara and Jonay fled through the forests hiding in the woods until they reached the highest mountain on the island. When Gara’s father found out, he ordered his army to follow and surround them.

Neither of the two could find a way out of their situation so in a last desperate act they took a lance made of laurel, sharpened at both ends, held it between their chests and in a final deadly embrace drove the stick through their hearts. The lovers met their deaths and Gara, the water and Jonay, the fire were one, their spirits united forever.

Today, the mountain, the beautiful misty forest and its national park go by the name Garajonay in memory of the young couple who chose death rather than living apart.

                                        -----------------------------------

NOTE: I had planned a post about Gara and Jonay when I found the legend beautifully told on  Red Queen Musings  and as I'm in a lazy mood today, I've just copied it above - with many thanks to the Red Queen.

Fires all over the Canary Islands tonight

One of the bonfires with fireworks in Valle Gran Rey a few
years ago, where a 'fake house' was burned as a bonfire

Programme V.G.R.

If you see fires in the Canary Islands tonight, don't be alarmed -they're bonfires as it is St. John's night, or 'la noche de San Juan' in Spanish. As is the custom in Ireland, here in the Canaries bonfires are lit, too in honour of St. John. This custom even pre-dates Christian times as it also marks the longest days of the year.
Every district, townland and village lights their own fire(s) and there are competitions for the most spectacular fires. I've seen whole houses constructed from pallets, old doors, etc., complete with old furniture and straw-stuffed 'inhabitants' being burned on St.John's night. The people party around the fires with music, food and drink and often set off fireworks. The fires nowadays are strictly controlled and have to be applied for at the local town hall. The burning of tyres, plastics, and other hazardous material is prohibited and the fires have to be within certain safety guidelines. The fiesta de San Juan continues for several days in some parishes, as is the case in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera this year.