The Archidona Web

FESTIVITIES

There are three dates which stand out the most in the festive calendar of Archidona: the carnival in February, Easter in spring and the patron saints festivities in August. The main characteristic of them all is the large popular participation.

Carnival: This has meant the recuperation of the ancient carnival tradition of street musicians and originally disguised krewes, interpreting various repertoires of risqué and critical popular folk songs which synthesize the most noteworthy events which have occurred locally, regionally or nationally, in the last year.

In addition to the carnival is the involvement of the townspeople, who live these days in an explosion of happiness and a tremendous display of imagination and originality. It is celebrated the previous weekend to the beginning of Lent, in February.

Easter: The traditional Easter in Archidona forms the largest and most famous religious celebration in the locality, a social and cultural phenomenon which is deeply rooted in the town from almost 500 years ago. A series of traditions which are so peculiar and famous such as the ringing of bells, the rough sound of the zumba, the "huia" starred by the Apostle or the interpretation of the Angel Embassy which makes a boy, have given this original Easter a special charisma which makes it into one with the most prestige and character in Andalusia. Archidona pours itself into its brotherhoods in this manifestation which is not only religious but also sociological and cultural, through which its recovers its most remote identity signs. The brotherhoods commemorate the Passion of Christ in the streets with a theatrical staging for this baroque festivity which has the sculptured images of Jesus and Madre Dolorosa as the stars, who are carried in artistic and resplendent thrones, and the town, anonymous and penitent.

Patron saint festivities: They are celebrated in honour of the Virgen de Gracia, patron saint of Archidona. They start in the early morning of the 14th of August with the pilgrimage to the virgin’s sanctuary, involving many people who come from various points of the region. The characteristics of this day are the traditional Archidona bells pealing at various times during the day, marking the beat of the town, which busy and happy, live the fair until the 18th of August.