Winter Season: La Candelaria (Candlemas)

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La Candelaria / Candlemas The Purification of the Virgin Mary and Jesus's first appearance in the temple are conmemorated on 2nd February, in addition to the offering of two doves (rich people would offer a dove and a lamb) which is a feature of most ceremonies held on this day.

La Endiablada
Almonacid del Marquesado
(Cuenca) 22kb

In Almonacid del Marquesado (Cuenca) La Endiablada (The Fiend) pays tribute to the Virgin Mary, and appears the following day when the feast of St Blaise is celebrated. This feast-day is structured in an unusual yet precise way. The cowbells ring out ceaselessly, becoming even more prominent once inside the church. The devils (children, youths, adults and old people) are present at the processions both for Candlemas and St Blaise, running and jumping and raising their arms whilst staring obsessively at the statues. A similar celebration, though not nearly as well-known, takes place in the nearby town of El Hito (Cuenca) on 28th May.

Decenales. Vals
(Tarragona) 10kb

Turtledoves, doves, candles (portending a good year if they remain lit, a bad one if they go out) and large cakes all feature in the procession held on this day. In Alcaudete de la Jara (Toledo) la soldadesca (group of soldiers) makes an appearance the following Sunday and parades through the streets every Sunday and feast-day until the first Sunday of Lent, that following Shrove Tuesday. In Valls (Tarragona), in years ending in the number 1, Decennial Celebrations are held, bringing together colles de castellers (groups of acrobats who form human pyramids), giants and big-heads from all over Catalonia. Finally, in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid) the traditional heifer-run has recently seen a revival following its sharp decline or even disappearance after the Civil War.

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