Candelaria festivities in l'Ametlla de Mar

L'Ametlla de Mar is having a Major Festival! The population celebrates the Major Festival of Candelaria, and as in all similar celebrations, the main motivation is religious devotion to the Patroness, the Virgin of Candelaria.

Although in modernity the religious meaning of the festival has been reduced, in l'Ametlla de Mar there is a special devotion towards the patron saint, which gives meaning to the Procession that is celebrated in her honor on the afternoon of every February 2 where the lime workers pay tribute to him through the main streets of the city, with a lit candle (torch) in their hands.

The solemnity of the procession, which has its climax when it reaches the port, is traditionally attended by many visitors and curious people coming from nearby regions and other parts of Catalonia.

Traditions evolve but the meaning is the same. This is what has happened to the young men and women in charge of carrying La Candelaria during the Procession. Until the early 1980s, it was the limited responsibility of boys who had completed military service during the year. Currently distributed among the "fifths", men and women who turn 18 during the year, and who, in addition to carrying the Virgin, become, along with the "pubillas", protagonists of the festival.

But the tradition of La Candelaria is not limited to religious sentiment, but is deployed in any of the fields of Calera society, with gastronomy being one of the most prominent parts, basically with the most native sweets, pastries and " corassons", accompaniment to any well-set table.

Popular culture is represented throughout the holidays with the music of Murgas and the beloved presence of the Cabezones (nanos), some of whom have become true characters in the popular imagination. Giants linked to history such as Saint George and the Dragon, with the Pedro and La Candelaria, a pair of giants named after local patron saints, lead the parades, although the one that stands out the most is the one with the Floral Offering to the Patron Saint, the same February 2.

Musical festivals, popular aperitifs, sports activities and exhibitions come together during the festival days in which the afternoons keep alive one of the oldest traditions of the festival, the Dance in the square and the raffle for the last cake.

On the other hand, there are others that have been lost, although they have been recovered occasionally, such as the Baile de la Candela, a dance reflected by Joan Amades in the Costumari Catalán, which was performed by single men and women leaving mass in the Plaza de la Iglesia on the day of the Major Festival, which ended by lighting the skirts of the Majorala with candles . This tradition was recovered by the local cultural heritage, and put on stage a few years ago by some of the country's popular dance groups.