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Information about Spain
Traditional Spanish fiestas - Community of Valencia
Traditional fiestas in Alicante
Festivals of the Moors and the Christians
Celebrated on different dates, depending on the neighbourhood: 17th to 21st March 11th to 14th June in the San Blas quarter 1st to 4th July in Rebolledo 12th to 16th August 19th to 23rd August
The Festivity of the Moors and the Christians has become one of the most representative events of social life in Alicante. It is an attractive mix of religiousness, strict formality and controlled street festivity.
That is what we can see in the neighbourhoods of San Blas, Villafranqueza, Altozano and José Antonio, where people fill the streets ready to spend a few days enjoying the music, parades and fireworks.
Nevertheless, despite its fun character, this festivity is taken very seriously, with its rules and protocol, and the costumes are not considered simple disguises.
The festivity, in general, has the following festive plan:
the "Avís de festa" (festivity notice), a parade where both sides –the Christians and the Moors- walk in with their lines or processions in full dress;
the "Nit de l'Olla", in which the pregón (proclamation) is delivered kicking off the festivity in kábilas and small barracks;
the "Diana", an informal parade with which the participants in the festival wake up their neighbours every morning and the "despertàs" to the rhythm of the sounds of the harquebus .
In addition to these events, the most colourful appearances are the "Entradas" where the captain, the main figure, leads the parades of each side, accompanied by corporals and flags; and the "Embajadas" that represent the dialectical battle to capture the square, which is followed by a battle of harquebusiers or "Alardo".
The festivity ends with the "Retreta", a humorous finale, where the festival’s participants have permission to have fun, having met the requirements of the protocol.
Friendship is an essential element of the Festival of the Moors and the Christians: in the barracks and kábilas, where almost everything is shared, and people gather around food and drink to take part in the festivity together.
See you soon in the Alicante, Spain!
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