Los Festivas de Moros y Christianos are one of Spains most enduring and popular festivals. They take place, thourghout the year and all across Spain, and celebrate Spain’s history of being ruled by the Moors until 1492 when rule passed to the Christians. Coincidentally, 1492 was the year that Columbus discovered America, thus making it a double-whammy for Queen Isabella.
Some of the festivals are very large, and some are very small. By the size, I mean the number of people participating which can range from a couple of hundred all the way up to 10,000, and maybe more.
On the 10th of June, 2022, I travelled by coach to Mojacar to see their festival. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but didn’t have very high expectations. It was probably going to be ho-hum. Boy, was I wrong!
The Grand Parade which comes at the end of the celebrations absolutely blew me away. To start with there were around 1,000 people taking part from young children to mature adults. Everybody other than the marching bands, which accompanied each group, was in full costume, and the costumes were breathtaking. The video shows most of them, and I’ve added phtographs of some of my favorites/.
From the time the parade started until the last person has passed the grandstand, it took well over an hour, perhaps closer to an hour and a half. However, the Parade didn’t stop there. Al the participants thn continued down the hill and to Mojacar village, on the beach, some 2 miles away. I can only imagine how hot they must have all been, and how exhausted they would have been when they finally finished. It was a wonderful spectacle, and my hat is off to the costume designers & creators.
These festivals are where the entire community get together and spend months getting ready for the big day. They instill a community spirit, something that in these days, of cynicism and greed, is hard to find.
Later on this month, I am going to one in Guardamar. Then, in October, I will be going to one in Crevillente (about an hour away) which will have around 10,000 people participating. I can only imagine what that is going to be like! You won’ty have to, because I will be posting about it with lots of photographs.