Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 20 - Canceled festivities

If there's one thing you need to know about Spaniards, it's that they LOVE their traditional holidays! Particularly in small towns, and in certain city neighborhoods that feel like towns. They're bright, colorful, festive... and very noisy! 😂 Marching bands galore, music late into the night, and in this part of Spain (Valencia region) lots of firecrackers and related noise-makers. The big ones around here (Alicante province) are the Hogueras (big ones in Alicante city for June 24th, smaller ones in other towns on different dates) and the Moros y Cristianos (main ones in Alcoi and Villajoyosa, but getting bigger in many other towns like neighboring San Vicente where the university is located).

The thing is... these events bring out massive crowds. Social distancing? Impossible! So one after the other cities and towns have been announcing the postponement of their big holiday. The Hogueras de San Juan in Alicante? Shipped off to the first weekend in September to wrap up the summer instead of launch it. Fallas in Valencia scheduled for mid-March? Just 10 days before (with some of the monuments already half set up!) finally shifted to 2nd half of July. Moros y Cristianos in Alcoi (end of April)? They're considering the first weekend in October. And so on, and so forth. 😥 

Project 365 - 51

traditional dancing at a crazy Greek wedding!

Illustrating "Moros y Cristianos" in San Vicente, take 3: Entrada Mora

I'm afraid I've been a bit busy this (past) week so haven't had time to finishing touching up and selecting the pics for this post (and the Flickr album). Finally managed to work on then yesterday in between serves during the Madrid Master's Final... can't believe Federer finally beat Nadal (and on clay!!!), I can't remember when I last saw that, what stress! Particularly after that amazing match between Nadal and Djokovic last night.

Anyhow, back to the business at hand, MOROS!!! ;o) If you're new here you're probably wondering what I'm taking about. I wrote a detailed post about the whole crazy event here, but in summary it's sort of a re-creation / celebration of the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in the 8th century and the reconquest by the Christian Kingdoms over the subsequent 7 centuries (culminating in the fall of Granada in January 1492). The crazy parades and fiesta take place over several days (in the case of the town of San Vicente fortunately most of it is on the weekend). I "illustrated" the Entrada Cristiana in this post, and some of the nightime activities -the Moorish Embassy- in this post.

And now to finish it off, the Entrada Mora on the afternoon of Sunday April 19th. I missed the tail end of the parade because I had to take some friends to the airport, but I did get to see most of it! The two groups -Comparsas- with bigger roles start and close off the parade: the Comparsa Tuareg with the Capitanía Mora, and the Comparsa Benimerines with the Alferecía Mora (the names of the different Comparsas are supposedly related to different arab tribes or kingdoms in the Peninsula).

So, here goes! I've added more photos to my Flickr album, to see them click here. You can make these pics bigger by clicking on them. Enjoy!

First Tuareg troups clearing a path...
Beautiful horses...
Leading the charge
Water... such an essential element for a desert tribe!
A squad of archers
A dromedary! (and there were donkeys and goats and oxen as well!)
Ready for battle?

More dancers...
A moving market!

More troups:
Dancers!
El Capitán and his wife:
Closing up the ranks of the Tuaregs
Members of other Comparsas:

Troups staged and ready and waiting to head out!
Getting ready to head out:
A tired Moro Nuevo suffering the consequences of the previous night's fiesta:

A crazy Benimerin waiting to launch the tail-end of the parade:
:

Illustrating "Moros y Cristianos" in San Vicente, take 2: Embajada Mora

Next instalment illustrating the crazy Moros y Cristianos festivities in San Vicente del Raspeig. I'm afraid the quality of the pics isn't as good as the others, they were taken with a small compact camera at night, but it gives you an idea of the going-ons.

So what's happening here basically represents the Moors' victory over the locals during the invasion, in this case by taking over the "castle". It all starts around midnight with members from each "comparsa" walking through the main streets of the town shooting their "trabucos" into the air (just with gunpowder). "Christians" followed by "Moors" who are supposedly chasing them out of town. They all end up coming to the plaza where the stage has been set for the final battle. First the Moorish Captain sends his Embassador to the Christian Captain offering terms of surrender (he is rudely sent away). Then the Captain comes in person and exhorts the good people of San Vicente to not listen to their Captain as he will get them all killed. The Moorish Captain promises to spare their lives if they surrender. Of course they don't (where would the fun be in that?!) and so the plaza is cleared, the Christian Captain and the leaders of his troops (particularly his Alferez) head out to prepare for battle. The "soldiers" arrive at the plaza amidst loud explosions and a very strong gunpwder smell. Then the two Alférez and the two Capitanes duel it out respectively, and the Castle is taken. Of course all this happens again (in a reverse situation) a few days later when the "Christians" re-conquer the "castle".

Representatives of the Christian "Comparsas" entering the "Castle":
Christian Captain and Alférez above with heads of the different Christian "Comparsas" awaiting the Moorish envoys:
Moorish Embassador:
Moorish Captain giving his speech:
Waiting for the "battle":
A member of the troops with his weapon ready to re-load:
Duel between Captains:
The Captain / King and his Alférez take possetion of the "Castle":
Overview of the plaza:
Troops (loudly) saluting the victory:
Members of the Benimerines Comparsa celebrating the capture of the "Castle":
You can find some more of these on my Flickr page here. And below is a short sequence filmed with a friend's camera... might help you get a better feel for the noise level. ;o) (we were standing at the corner where it all ended, by the time they reached us they were supposed to be practically out of gunpowder.

Illustrating "Moros y Cristianos" in San Vicente, take 1: Entrada Cristiana

Oh boy... Haven't I posted these yet?! That's what happens when life gets in the way of blogging. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Shame on me! :p

Part of the problem was that I had a hell of a time choosing only a few photos (click on them for better viewing) to put here as Blogger isn't unfortunately the best spot to share pictures... So for those interested in seeing more, there a link at the bottom to an album on Flickr. I'll post two more groups (nightime shots and Moors) over the next couple of days.

If you haven't seen my previous entry on this rather unique Alicante festivity, it's in the Blog's April Archive, or you can just click here.

Today's selection are from the "Entrada Cristiana" on Sat. April 18th, in San Vicente del Raspeig (small town next to Alicante, Spain). The two groups with "extra" roles are at either end: Los Astures (representing a northern Spanish "kingdom") with the "Captanía" and Los Maseros (representing farmers etc.) with the "Alferecía".

Some of the dancers (peacocks!):

the Captain's "avant-garde":
The Captain and his lady:
Troups from other "comparsas":

Comparsa Contrabandistas:

"Mock" fights:
Participants of all ages!

a young crusader

and his elders

a young princess

and her "soldiers"

Comparsa Estudiantes

The beginning of the end (boato de Comparsa Maseros):


I hope you enjoyed them! The rest of this grouping can be found in my Flickr album:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37770593@N07/sets/72157617779193380/
They tell a much more complete story so go check them out!