November 1st, All Saints Day, cemeteries are filled with flowers and memories. Families remember those who are no longer embellishing niches and graves. A day of recollection and respect that in places like San Juan de la Rambla It also shows a very different face: that of the joy and enthusiasm of the boys and girls. The chiquillería, with their baskets, goes through the streets, knocks on doors and repeats over and over again: “Los Santitos, Los Santitos!”. A key that allows them to access the treats of their neighbors, who give them sweets and sweets to fulfill a tradition that has its roots in the origin of this municipality of the north of Tenerife.
The Portuguese settler Martín Rodríguez He built a hermitage in honor of San Juan Bautista at the beginning of the 16th century in what was then known as the Malpaís de Icode. Other families came to settle and contributed to creating what is now San Juan de la Rambla. That Portuguese influence remains alive to this day with traditions such as Los Santitos, a local evolution of Pão for Deus celebrated in Portugal since the 15th century. In the Portuguese country, every November 1, children also go out into the streets and join in small groups to ask o Pão por Deus From door to door. Before it was a day to share bread with the poorest, today it is a party enjoyed by both young and old.
San Juan de la Rambla He has wanted to defend Los Santitos, and the Pan por Dios of the upper area, from oblivion, with the help of the schools in the area, the families and the neighbors. This Monday, November 1, 2021, ladies over 80 years old who were one day on the other side, knocking on doors to receive in their present baskets that before were not candies, gummies or chocolates, but oranges, mandarins, dried figs, chestnuts , bananas, pippin apples or cooked eggs. The illusion of the little ones can also be seen in the eyes of the older ones, who enjoy making groups of children happy who were visiting Los Sabandeños and Antonio Ruiz Cedrés streets, in La Cooperativa, to receive their sweets.
At 10:30 in the morning there were more than a hundred boys and girls, between the ages of 2 and 14, ready to return to Los Santitos after the stoppage forced by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The councilor responsible for areas such as Education, Citizen Participation and Cultural Heritage, Gloria María Méndez (PSOE), remember that in 2020 it had to be celebrated “in a very limited way”, with a tent in the square, a lot of social distance, children in line and some bags of sweets prepared in advance. «This year we have asked them to be careful, to come with masks and to respect distances as much as possible, but at least we have been able to return to the streets. There is a lot of animation and the children are very happy “, underlines the mayor ramblera.
Gloria Maria Mendez details that minors under San Juan de la Rambla There are also some from Icod de los Vinos and from neighborhoods of La Guancha such as Santa Catalina and Santo Domingo, who have families in town or links with schools in the area and do not want to miss this day either. The councilor corroborates that “many Portuguese settled in the town after its founding by Martín Rodríguez, and it is believed that this is where this tradition comes from, which gained even more strength from the post-war period, at a time that was difficult.”
The expectation is so great that the children do not even have to knock on the doors. Neighbors of all ages, mostly older women, wait with their baskets or bags full of goodies to spread a bit of joy. After the grief of 2020, the party has resumed with force and many residents went shopping in the days before they had enough trinkets to distribute. «The neighbors have prepared and have been calling the City Council this previous week to make sure that this year there would be Santitos. Thanks to them it is maintained », explains the responsible mayor. One of those neighbors is Carmen María. In his opinion, this is “a beautiful tradition”, which he has enjoyed since his three daughters “were small, and now the oldest is 42 years old.”
«Tradition has not been lost, there are more and more children and we are happy. May it continue for a long time“Confesses this ramblera” mother of girls who also ordered Los Santitos “, who had to buy” three large packages of trinkets “and yesterday they lasted rather little.
The key is to say Los Santitos, if the traditional formula is not used, it is likely that the trinkets will not reach the basket. “In my house, when they play, if they don’t call me Los Santitos, they don’t take anything,” Gloria María confesses with a laugh. Here the Anglo-Saxon formulas are not valid: “This is not a trick or treat, here we have Los Santitos”, he claims. There are also no costumes. The only thing that is prepared is the decoration of the chestnut or wicker baskets, which are adorned with natural or artificial flowers.
María del Carmen is another neighbor involved in the maintenance of Los Santitos, something she remembers “since she was very little.” At 78 years old, she compliments the decoration of the most beautiful baskets while she distributes to everyone who appears at her door, and recalls happy moments of her childhood: «When I was little and lived in Las Aguas, I loved it, that’s why I keep doing it. I am very excited”. Like little Lucia, who lived the morning with great joy, repeating without stopping Los Santitos and celebrating every treat that came to her basket full of flowers. His happiness was contagious and illuminated the faces of the elderly.
The custom, of Portuguese origin, has been able to resume as usual after the stoppage forced by Covid-19 in 2020
The sweets are the most widely distributed good, although in some houses they work in the previous days in the preparation of traditional cookies, fried millet or pumpkin cakes. It is the most common in Güillo’s house, although this year, still marked by Covid-19, they have also opted for conventional trinkets. At the door of his house was his 94-year-old mother-in-law, sitting in a chair to distribute Los Santitos.
The former mayor ramblera Fidela Velazquez He also participates: «This is an area with a lot of tradition and last year many people had a terrible time because the children could not come. Fortunately, it has been maintained with the help of the schools. Since 2011, in the town hall we wanted to give more prominence to Los Santitos and Pan por Dios in the most traditional way. And now I am also delighted to collaborate as a neighbor ». At CEIP Francisco Afonso Carrillo, the students decorated their baskets last Friday and received a preview of the day.
Josefina, in her 80s, doesn’t miss her date with Los Santitos either. Distribute to young and old and enjoy a lot: “This is crazy, a very beautiful thing. I remember celebrating it as always and I’ve been living here for 62 years now. Leticia, another neighbor of San Juan de la Rambla, came to enjoy this different November 1 with his daughter: «We come every year. I used to go out when I was little and now I come with my daughter. This has never been lost and now even more are coming than before ».
The residents of the town of San Juan de la Rambla buy trinkets to distribute among the large number of minors who participate
Juan Carlos and Mónica went down to the town from San José to bring your kids to the party. “It has been very good and the children have enjoyed it a lot, it is worth keeping these good traditions alive,” he explains. She was born in these streets and she never fails: “I enjoyed it as a child and now I bring my children, who this year have come with more enthusiasm and more enthusiasm after the 2020 break.”
With the basket already empty, Milagros reviews the day and reflects: «Many have come. I had a full basket and I have nothing left. Some repeat, but that does not matter. This should never be lost because it is so beautiful. ” Between 100 and 200 children participated in this edition of Los Santitos, according to the calculations of the City Council, which closed the streets of La Cooperativa to traffic to guarantee a safe party. The rush hour was between 10:30 and 11:30 hours, when most of the minors made the trip to fill their baskets. Then they continued through other areas and, even, some neighbors carried their sweets with them to entertain the children they found on the street. The church square was a meeting place at the end of the morning, where to give an account of what was collected at the voice of Los Santitos!
Bread for God
Bread for God is a more deeply rooted tradition in the upper area of the municipality of San Juan de la Rambla and it is believed that it also has Portuguese origin, where it is called Pão for Deus or bolinho. In its beginnings, the custom served to help alleviate the situation of poverty that was experienced, especially in post-war times, epidemics, crises or natural disasters, which led the most disadvantaged people, especially children, to go to the homes of people with a better economic position to ask, on a certain day, for help to alleviate hunger. It has lost some strength with the passage of time, but the Rambler Consistory and the educational centers want to avoid its disappearance. In the past, children walked the streets of towns such as San José and every November 1 they still asked for the Bread for God, a treat that used to be shaped like bread, although today it has also evolved to become sweets and sweets. In addition, the bakeries in the area maintain the custom of giving their customers an extra milk bread with their usual purchases, a detail that serves as a gift and as a way to remember the times when they walked the streets asking for this present. The tradition is also maintained in other places in the northwest of Tenerife, such as Garachico and Los Silos.