ARCHIVED - 17th to 22nd January, annual fiestas in honour of San Sebastián in Ricote
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Music, processions and many other events during the Fiestas Patronales of Ricote 2020
Every winter the town of Ricote in northern central Murcia celebrates its fiestas patronales in honour of San Sebastián, who is sometimes known as the saint who was martyred twice.
San Sebastián was a Christian from Milan, killed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians mercilessly. He was a captain in the Praetorian Guard, but was a secret Christian, and when the Emperor was quietly informed about his out of hours’ activities, he threw Sebastian into jail, where he promptly converted all of the prisoners and the guards to Christianity.
Moved by their new found faith, the guards released all Christian prisoners and disappeared out of the city, and the Emperor ordered that Sebastián should be executed before having him tied to a stake and shot full of arrows, leaving him for dead. A fellow Christian, the widow Irene, who had always had a soft spot for the reportedly handsome martyr, went to retrieve his body and found he was still alive, so she took him home and nursed him back to health, where he immediately began converting people again and performing miracles.
One day, hearing Diocletian outside in the street, Sebastián stood on the step outside and harangued the Emperor, at which point the Emperor commanded his guards to kill him, and to make sure they did a proper job of it the second time. He was promptly clubbed to death and his body thrown in a privy.
The program for the 2020 festivities in Ricote includes the following:
Saturday 11th January
12.00: Rockets and fireworks as the church bells toll to announce the beginning of the fiestas.
19.30: The first evening of the “Novena”, nine successive days of prayers in the local church.
22.00: Pregón (opening speeches) in the Iglesia parroquial.
Sunday 12th January
12.00: More rockets and fireworks as the church bells toll again.
13:00 Beer tasting in honour of san Sebastian
19.00: The second evening of the Novena.
Monday 13th January
12.00: More rockets and fireworks as the church bells toll again.
19.30: Third evening of the Novena.
This is repeated every day until Saturday 18th January
Friday 17th January
12.00: More rockets and fireworks as the church bells toll again.
12:30 Blessing of the animals and sale of the rolls of san Antón
22:00 Proclamation of the Queens of the Fiestas
23:30 Concert by Sara Zamora in the Ricote Auditorio (entry free of charge.)
Saturday 18th January
Mediaeval market in the Jardín Huerto de Celestino
12.00: More rockets and fireworks as the church bells toll again.
12.00: The start of the traditional medieval market.
12:00 Moors and Christians parade in collaboration with the Moors and Christians federation from Caravaca de la Cruz.
12:30. Opening of the fería de día.
14:00 Paella popular with tickets at 4 euros for a drink, paella, dessert and coffee.
12:00 Grand open-air dance and live music with the panther show followed by DJs until 6am the next morning.
Sunday 19th January
6.00: “Alborada”: music and singing along with the chiming of the church bells and fireworks to begin the eve of the feast day of San Sebastián.
07:00 Churros and chocolate in the Plaza de España
12:00 The bells ring out and firecrackers are let off.
16:00 Crazy cars go-kart race in the CP Jesús García Candel school (CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF REGISTRATIONS)
19.30: The final evening of the Novena, followed by a floral offering and featuring a choral Mass with the participation of the “Virgen de la Salud” traditional music association from Archena.
20:30 Regional folk dancing in the Plaza de España
22.30 Live music tribute night to Fito y Fitipaldis in the paraje las piezas
Mediaeval market open throughout the day.
Monday 20th January, the feast day of San Sebastián.
09:00. Mass
10:00. Pasacalles to collect the key figures of the fiestas
12:00. Solemn mass
13.00 Regional folk dancing in the Plaza de España
16.00: Traditional children’s games at the Paraje Las Piezas.
19.30: Procession with the figure of San Sebastián.
22:00. Musical; Tras el telón in the auditorium of Ricote
Tuesday 21st January: Día del Niño
10.00: Pasacalles (informal procession) to collect the fiestas queens.
12.00: Mass
13.00: Community meal with Gachasmigas at the Paraje Las Piezas
22.00: Musical at the Auditorio Municipal, “Por fin juntos”.
Wednesday 22nd January
10.00: Pasacalles (informal procession) featuring the fiestas queens.
12.00: Mass.
16.30: Children’s entertainment at the Town Hall.
19.30. Procession with the image of the the saint through the streets of the town, with fireworks en-route and further fireworks at the end of the procession, concluding the fiestas.
Saturday 25th January
16.00: Parade of floats and troupes through the streets of the town, starting at the Centro de Mayores.