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There are 2 major festivities every year
in Sandoval de la Reina:
1st ... Saint Blaise (February the 3rd)
2nd .. Summer
festivities (usually the last or last but one week of August)
1st ... Saint
Blaise (died 316 Ad.) bishop of Sebastes
(now Sivas, in Turkey) and martyr. When the Roman emperor Licinius began to persecute the
Christians, Blaise run away, but was arrested. For refusing to renounce his
faith, he was skinned alive with wool-combing hooks and beheaded.
According to a legend, Blaise once saved
the life of a child who was suffocating with a fishbone. That's why Roman
Catholic Church has the
custom of blessing throats on St Blaise Day on February 3rd. He is also the
patron saint of wool carders or combers.
Sandoval de la Reina began to praise Saint
Blaise in 1834 on the occasion of the Saint had protected the inhabitants from
an epidemic through a relic.
Every Saint Blaise day, during the Mass, people worship
the relic. The reliquary holding it is kissed. Many believers from the near
villages come to kiss it with the aim to get protection against the throat
conditions. We hope they'll be with us many more years.
The celebrations last usually for three
days. Among the plays that are held: Card games
("mus" and "brisca" a very Spanish ones),
"tuta"
(a game where a metal disc is thrown to a diabolo-shaped short piece of wood, women
skittles (a typical and very very local bowling). A
lively night party
animated by a band lasts late at night and in the darkest of it drinking chocolate
is handed out for free to everybody, locals and foreigners. A moto-cross
is intermitently held, some years, and it counts for the Provincial Championship
.
2nd The
Summer
Fiesta is entertained with more
activities. Children's games and adult's
games. A Spanish omelette contest is held and then
the omelettes publicly tasted and eaten and watered down with wine and non-alcoholic
drinks and with good sociable relationship sharing time, chat and
food (52 omelettes entered the competition in 2004). Women’s skittles contest.
Evening dancing and night party livened up by a professional band, lasting until
five in the morning or so on the chosen Friday for the fiesta.
The final touch is the Club lunch on the riverside on
Sunday for all the members (199 in 2004). From now on, everything seems to be
smoothly coming to an end and the memories and the feeling of calmness will take
on and remain until work or school start.
The village’s Club Sandovale,
increasingly nearing
every year the 200 members organizes the whole summer fiesta.
If you want to become a member you just have to pay the
membership annual fee (12 euros in 2004)
If you want to enjoy yourselves in a small village
festivity just come and you'll never forget it.
Version
en Castellano
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