Friday, January 09, 2009
Fiestas of San Antonio Abad 2009
We know that Christmas is only just finished, the sales have only just begun and the Carnaval is only just round the corner, but we're sure you can find a spare couple of seconds in between to go to one of the annual San Antonio Abad fiestas that are coming up this month in Tenerife.
The actual Saint's day for San Antonio Abad (Saint Anthony Abbot, a.k.a. Anthony the Great) is on January 17th, but based on past experience and last year's dates, this fiesta should be taking place in Los Silos on Sunday, January 18th, 2009 and in Buenavista del Norte on Sunday, January 25th, 2009.
We also know it colloquially as the Festival of Animal Poo, because the good saint looks after animals and this means that everyone brings their cattle, horses, flocks of goats and sheep, dogs ... (as well as rabbits, birds, snakes and all manner of exotic things), to town to be blessed. And the sheer numbers of them, means that the animals "bless" the town streets with rather a lot of "fertilizer." Last year there were 1,500 cattle trudging around the streets in Buenavista, so you can imagine how much. In Los Silos, they also have a crafts fair in the plaza.
Photos: San Antonio Abad 2008 - Los Silos | San Antonio Abad - Buenavista
Romería of San Antonio Abad
San Antonio Abad is also venerated / celebrated in the town of Arona, where he's the town patron too and they hold the first Romería * of the year, which this year will be held on Sunday, January 18th, 2009.
It's only a short bus or car ride from the southern resorts. Tenerife Tourism Corporation say, "This procession and fiesta is the second oldest in the district and takes places on the second or third Sunday of January. Wagons pulled by oxen and decorated carts, together with folk music groups maintain the atmosphere of this important local tradition in this southern town."
On the Saturday, there's a Gala to choose the fiesta queen and a large open air party with live music. Arona also holds a crafts fair on the Sunday.
Fiestas de San Antonio Abad - Arona, Tenerife
(* The Wikipedia explanation that "A Romería in Spanish or "Romaria" in Portuguese is a religious pilgrimage", doesn't quite cut it. They're right that the celebrations often last all day, or while there's enough food and booze. :)
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