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Torrox 23rd December Sunday before Christmas … Dia de la Migas has been held in the town since 1972, but was named Fiesta de Interes Turistico Nacional de Andalucia for the first time in 1999. As well as the tradition tasting of “Migas” made with oil, garlic, water, semolina flour and salt and local wine, there is also plenty of flamenco entertainment. The party begins at 12 noon in El Llano de la Almedina and continues throughout the day with shows in the Plaza de la Constitucion. Around 40.000 visitors attend the day. Tourist Office: 952 530 225 Town Council: 952 530 225 Fiestas in Torrox, Andalucia mean partytime. Whatever the reason behind the event, be it religious or otherwise, the end result is always the same - lots of music and dancing, drinking and eating and general fun and frolics usually until dawn over a period of several days to a week. Over 3,000 fiestas are celebrated every year in Andalucia including fairs, carnivals, degustacions, passion plays, pilgrimages and processions. Every village, no matter how small, holds at least one fiesta a year. CARNIVAL: Carnival is celebrated before the 40 days of Lent each year, centred around Shrove Tuesday . Most towns hold a parade with floats and a Carnival Queen contest, either the weekend before or after, and large towns have festivities lasting all week. People dress up in costume and masks and up to a week of festivities including street music, dances and competitions are held. Carnival is very much a fiesta of the people. As elsewhere in the Catholic world, it originated as a reaction against abstentations and prohibitions. Carnival attempts to break social order and liberalise instincts, helped by wearing masks and fancy dress. During the Civil War, General Franco abolished carnival in rebel areas EASTER WEEK (Semana Santa): Semana Santa is celebrated during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Easter Monday, although a Bank Holiday in many countries including Gibraltar, is not celebrated in Spain. Easter week processions compete with each other for splendour. Parades leave town churches to wend slowly through the streets carrying statues of Christ on the cross and the Virgin Mary in mourning. Religious brotherhoods (Hermandades) representing guilds of tradesman, in elaborate robes often with high pointed cowls covering their faces, carry the very heavy statues with a slow rocking gait accompanied by drum beat, incense and candles. The Costa towns and villages are full of pageantry and music whilst Malaga, famous for the size and grandeur of its processions, virtually comes to a standstill and is one of the best places to observe these rites. Apart from parading through the streets of their towns, the local brotherhoods hold exhibitions of their paraphernalia and possessions. In some towns and villages passion plays are enacted at this time. Within Axarquia Moclinejo holds a passion play on Good Friday, and Riogordo holds a series of these plays throughout the week. ROMERIAS: The name for these local pilgrimages is derived from the traditional walk to Rome. These days the pilgrimages to popular shrines are a very colourful and lively procession on foot, by gaily decorated cart and wagon and on horseback. On reaching the shrine, and often preceeded by thoses who have travelled by car, a huge fiesta is held. SPRING FAIRS: The World Dance festival is held every May in Malaga with more than 100,000 people enjoying live international dance music. The fair of San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers, is held on the 15th May. Isodor was an 11th century ploughman famous for his gift of divining water. Romerias often pass through fields, and fiestas incorporate agricultural tradeshows. One of the best in Axarquia is held in Nerja where the procession leaves from the town and winds it way to a hermitage at the Nerja caves for an enourmously popular fiesta that began with fireworks on the evening of the 14th. The feast of San Juan is on the 24th June but celebrations are held leading up to and on the night of the 23rd June, coinciding with the summer solstice, the shortest night of the year and midsummer. It is associated with fire and magic and has clear pagan origins. It is celebrated on the beaches with huge bonfires, barbeques (particularly moragas - a sardine barbeque), fireworks and campouts. For good luck, people paddle or swim in the sea just after midnight. An old ritual, still adhered to, is to wash the face and feet three times in order to be granted three wishes and for a happy twelve months thereafter. Bathing at this time is also said to be beneficial for skin complaints. Traditionally the Spanish did not visit the beach until this day in each year |
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