Expats caught chasing Spanish virgin up a hillside!

The Romería de la Candelaria in Alhama de Murcia

In the Roman Catholic calendar 2nd February is the feast day of Candelaria, or Candlemas, the day on which the baby Jesus was presented to the Temple, and across the Region of Murcia it is celebrated in many places including Alhama de Murcia, Beniel and Blanca.

Each town, village, hamlet and city in Spain has its own little quirks, traditions and ways of celebrating a particular event, but entwined in the celebration of Candelaria, is the celebration of embracing the newest members of the community, welcoming them and enveloping them into the traditions which they in turn will pass onto their own families one day in the future.

Proud mothers present their children to the community, parading together in the morning or evening of Candelaria, before the innocents (the young) are presented to the Virgen of the Candelaria and welcomed into the arms of the church.

In Alhama the children's parade takes place before the Virgen sallies forth in the Romeria, and throughout the day neighbours gather in their own community celebrations to share and enjoy food and fellowship.

This year, we followed the Romeria of the Virgen in Alhama, enjoying a warm, sweet morning, a blue sky the perfect backdrop for fragrant almond blossom drenching the air with honey, and the passage of the Virgen through the town and out into the countryside.

She left the church at 11am on the dot, warm pink tones and layered lace of her robe, echoed in the soft pinks and feathered whites of the flowers spread beneath her feet, a simple sprig of almond blossom in her hand, accompanied by cries of Vive la Virgen as she was carried through the strrets of Alhama, accompanied by a crowd of thousands.

From time to time her bearers would rest, enjoying the warm hospitality of townsfolk who had baked cakes and sweets, laid out on tables along the route, sweet Jumilla wine and cognac to fortify those who were bearing the Virgen for a 2km distance up a hill, and refreshments were offered freely to participants in the Romeria.

Many carried wineskins, generously shared amongst fellow travellers, and a festive atmosphere infected both onlookers and participants, as the sea of neck-kerchiefs and staffs slowly wound its way up the Collao.

This tradition in Alhama has historical roots going back more than 200 years, although this modern day Romeria was only resurrected a few decades ago, however, each year the numbers are swelling, as more and more participants embrace the traditions which define the Region, and these occasions grow once again in popularity.

It´s about a 2km walk from the Iglesia de San Lazaro up to the area known as Paraje del Collao, where a series of terraces hosted multiple barbeques and family picnics, thousands spreading out across the hillside.

For those not smart enough to send the abuelos on ahead to set up camp, get the fires going and set the paella to cook, the council had provided paella for 1000 people, although no-one could possibly go hungry, such was the abundance of food on offer, and our roving reporter returned replete, full stomach groaning under the weight of cakes, sweet wine, sausages and the  rice he´d consumed in the course of his journalistic endeavours.

On arrival at the hermitage, musical mass was celebrated, with the tones of the Rondallas ringing out across the countryside, and the music continued as the musicians spread out across the hillside to their friends and family groups.

When you next see a Rondalla or a Cuadrilla playing at a community event, look closely at the designs, and you´ll see shapes which could have come from a mediaeval painting.

And note the percussionists, its amazing what can be done with the natural materials found growing in the campo, and brings an upward curve of the lips to see generations sharing the pleasure of playing them.

And of course, this is Murcia, so Cohetes were the instrument of choice for those unable to play a guitar or shake a tambourine, their loud booms announcing the arrival of the Virgin at each stop along the way.

In Beniel, they celebrate the arrival of the Virgen with what´s known as a "kilometro traca" , the most enormous firecracker which is set off as she appears in the square, which this year managed to continue without the chain breaking for a whole seven minutes of earsplitting racket and smoke, an achievement which delighted the residents of the town  who say that it will bring a good year, so maybe El Gordo will land on the town this coming Christmas, who knows.

And the best part of the whole event was that some of you were there as well, virgin Romeria attendees who had an unexpectedly good morning out, and have discovered much to their astonishment that these romerias are not not a "stuffy religious thing," but a participative community event which involves healthy exercise, followed by lots of eating and drinking murcian style and at which everyone is hospitably welcomed, indeed the locals are delighted to see expats joining in with their cultural activities and participating in community events.

Put it in the diary for next year.

It happens every year on the 2nd February.