SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 24 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Parliament of the Canary Islands hosted on Tuesday a representation of the Gomeran tradition of the ‘Ramo de Arure’, which was symbolically delivered to the president of the Chamber, Gustavo Matos, after being made at the institution’s own headquarters.
The event was attended by the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, the president of the Cabildo de La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, the mayor of Valle Gran Rey, Manuel Piñero, and members of the association headed by Concepción Trujillo and José Ramón Santos.
“It is an honor to be able to learn by seeing how they make this magnificent bouquet with their hands with the teachings of their parents and grandparents,” said Torres, who expressed his appreciation “to all the men and women who keep the memories of the past alive.”
For his part, the president of the Chamber recalled that one of the objectives of this tenth legislature is to make Parliament a better known and loved institution, highlighting these 40 years of self-government.
“In this purpose of bringing the Chamber closer to the eight islands, today we have brought a little piece of La Gomera, of our traditions, to Parliament,” he said.
Matos recalled that the ‘Ramo de Arure’ “passes from family to family, from generation to generation, symbolizing in a very visual and emotional way what the Canary Islands are and this journey of four decades.”
Casimiro Curbelo also appreciated that the Parliament “opens its doors to a cultural event like this, which is the heritage of the people of La Gomera and the Canary Islands” and highlighted the need to “preserve our identity, something that is of great importance as a people”.
Along the same lines, the mayor of Valle Gran Rey considered “a pride” that all the people who have represented the Branch today “have come from La Gomera” to show the value of the culture that this tradition means. “Arure is culture for the Canary Islands and for La Gomera,” he said.
In their speeches during the event, Concepción, Conchita Trujillo and José Ramón Cheo Santos thanked Parliament for the welcome and highlighted the historical and cultural importance of the Arure Branch, “a symbol of identity”.
BOUQUET OF ARURE
The tradition of adorning the ‘Ramo de Arure’ with products from the land, awarded the Gold Medal of the Canary Islands in 2019, represents gratitude to nature and the divinities for the food of a whole year.
It is celebrated annually in the municipality of Valle Gran Rey and each year it is up to a different family to prepare it and, at the end of the festival, they deliver it to the family that will take care of it the following year.
The Cabildo de La Gomera is working on the file that seeks the declaration of this tradition as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
