La Orotava lives its ‘Big Day’ adorned with a spectacular great tapestry

La Orotava adorns itself in its Big Week, which began this Monday, June 20, with its traditional Los Sabandeños Recital, to continue with the reading of the proclamation by the journalist Agustín González, director of Diario de Avisos, on Tuesday. Preamble to the long-awaited Thursday of the Carpets, the day of the Infraoctave of Corpus Christi, one of the most significant days for the villeros (June 23).

The program on this day started very early, at 7:00 a.m., with the ringing of bells, and the celebration of the Eucharist with the assistance of the carpet makers, to later proceed with the making of floral tapestries through the streets of the historic center . Throughout the day thousands of people will visit the Villa, not only to enjoy the making of the 35 flower carpets that will be made in the streets of the historic center, but also the great tapestry of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, made with sand from the Teide National Park, and this year, with ashes from the La Palma volcano. At 6:30 p.m. the solemn Eucharist will be celebrated in which there will be ecclesiastical authorities such as the Auxiliary Bishop of Valladolid and General Secretary of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Luis Javier Argüello García, and the Bishop of the Nivariense Diocese, Bernardo Álvarez Afonso. There will also be representatives of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo de Tenerife and the different municipalities of Tenerife, who will also participate in the subsequent procession of the Blessed Sacrament along the carpeted route.

With the popular acts of the weekend it will be possible to end these emblematic festivities. The magician’s ball, on Friday June 24, with four different spaces; the cattle fair, the Subida de los Santos Patronos and the display of fireworks and the Son 21 concert; on Saturday June 25; and on Sunday, June 26, the great pilgrimage will take place in honor of San Isidro Labrador and Santa María de la Cabeza. It should be noted that this year, the final point of the Orotavense festivities will be the celebration of the fourth edition of the Battle of Polkas, an event that has greater impact every year.

The City Council celebrates this recovery of the essence of the festivities, the festivity and the joy in the street, thanking the work carried out by the different teams, neighbors and groups so that these festivities go ahead. This year special emphasis is placed on the protection and conservation of the signs of identity, traditions, and the cultural and artistic heritage of the municipality, which is why activities are carried out for the little ones and educational campaigns. The proper use of traditional dress is also encouraged.

For his part, Mayor Francisco Linares highlights the work and involvement of folk groups, carpet artists, groups, entities and numerous people who do their bit to make these festivities a success. He also valued the projection of the La Orotava festivities, a benchmark in the Canary Islands. During Holy Week, more than 200,000 people are expected to visit it, generating an economic impact of more than 5 million euros. During his speech, he also asked all citizens to be responsible at these parties, “because, although the health situation seems to be on the right track, there are still infections and deaths from the virus.”