The emblematic Fiestas del Cristo de La Laguna recover this year the celebration of cultural events in their traditional location of the Plaza del Cristo, after last 2020 they had to be limited to the premises of the Teatro Leal.
Of course, under a strict security protocol in compliance with health regulations and that means reducing the capacity to 650 people, in a limited and controlled space, so you must have an access ticket, available at www.mueveticket.com and at the point of sale that will be enabled in the square. In addition to all the usual health and security measures and subject to the evolution of the pandemic situation.
“I am deeply grateful and excited to be able to carry out the Fiestas del Cristo, since last year we could not meet on the streets. It is true that they are going to be different parties and fundamentally marked by the context of the pandemic in which we live, but we have drawn up a contingency plan so that the events can be held in complete safety, ”said the Party Councilor, Badel Albelo, who called for “social responsibility.”
This is how the mayor said during the presentation yesterday of the program and poster announcing the celebrations, together with the accidental mayor, Rubens Ascanio. Also in the act were the eldest slave of the Slavery of the Holy Christ of La Laguna, Francisco Doblas; the head of the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra, Rubén Sánchez; and the author of the poster for this edition, Juan Cairós.
Badel Albelo also stressed that on the 14th, the big day of the festivities, “the pyrotechnic display is recovered at 11:30 pm.” “We will have fires that considerably reduce noise pollution by almost 60%,” he said, while announcing that they will be “the most inclusive festivals in the history of the municipality.”
Likewise, the councilor announced that a novelty will be the installation of an amusement fair in the military space attached to the square, if the epidemiological situation allows it and the island drops in level, “as a clear sign of support for the situation by which the fairgrounds have passed ”, he highlighted. Also “with restricted capacity, capacity control and an associated safety plan, which makes these Fiestas del Cristo safe”, he valued.
“Despite the health situation, we are going to enjoy a few parties for sure. We remain hopeful that in 2022 we will be able to celebrate the holidays as we have always known them with full normality, ”said Rubens Ascanio.
The events started last Friday with the recovery of the reading out loud and on horseback of the proclamation announcing the festivities through the streets of the old town, a traditional act that had not been carried out since 1984.
And they continue tomorrow with the reading of the proclamation as it is known today, by José Gómez Soliño, former rector of the University of La Laguna, professor in English Philosophy and president of the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Tenerife; and which will take place at 8.30 pm at the Teatro Leal.
Religious acts
Regarding religious events, Francisco Doblas stated that “we cannot confirm timetables or spaces in detail because we are still at level 4 and we had the idea of lowering the level and having a greater amplitude of the stage.” “The best scenario would be the transfer of the Holy Christ to the cathedral, which today seems almost impossible; the second scenario would be to stay like last year, inside the sanctuary; and the third would be the use of the Plaza del Cristo ”for the two most important events, on the 9th and 14th, which seems right now the most plausible option.
The older slave explained that the main acts will begin next day 9, with “the descent of the image in the sanctuary at 11.00 hours, as is tradition, and in the afternoon the idea is that both the twinning of Slavery with the Army Artillery Regiment and the start of the quinario will take place in the Plaza del Cristo ”.
Meanwhile, on the 14th, the big day, Lieutenant General Carlos Palacios Zaforteza, head of the Canary Islands Command, will receive the baton of the Slavery of Christ, in official representation of the King. At 11.00 the solemn mass would begin in the square and when it finished, the Christ would return to his sanctuary at noon. That night, the idea would be to celebrate mass again in the plaza, accompanied by the Achamán group. And in the pyrotechnic display, obviously the Christ will go out to the portals, ”said Doblas.
Among the cultural events, the Plaza del Cristo recovers the symphonic concert, which will take place this Friday at 9:30 p.m. and this year will be in charge of “the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra, because the one in Tenerife, due to scheduling problems, will not you can accompany ”, explained Badel Albelo. The group will interpret great themes from Mexican folklore adapted to the orchestral staff, accompanied by typical instruments of the country and “with four voices well versed in this genre” such as Fabiola Trujillo, Mara Pérez, Manuel Estupiñán and José Santana, added Rubén Sánchez.
In addition, the Plaza del Cristo will also host, always at 9.30 pm, the Night of Humor, this Saturday; the Reggaecan Festival, the next day 9; the Youth Festival of the City of La Laguna, on the 10th; the Sabandeños Festival, on the 11th; the Day of Traditions, the 13th; or the Night of Orchestras, on the 14th, “as a stage show, do not dance,” stressed the mayor, among other acts.
The Teatro Leal will also be the scene of performances such as that of Pablo Milanés, on the 11th; Fimucité, on the 17th; Ainhoa Arteta, on the 18th; or an acoustic one by MClan, on the 24th, among other events, sporting events and exhibitions.
