Antonio López, founder of the El Gamonal road, rose this Sunday around six in the morning. He had ahead of him the task of crinkling the potatoes that he would later distribute with his companions, and ensuring that everything was ready before the Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Mark the Evangelist. On Saturday, they kneaded 60 kilos of gofio, cooked 900 eggs, prepared sandwiches, or roasted half a pig, among other tasks. The cart drivers of Tegueste live with passion the preparations, and needless to say, the making of the panels and other decorative elements of wagons that become works of art.
The truth is that the rain almost ruined everything. It made an attempt in the morning, held back, the festivities began, and around 2:15 pm, the rain started to become more intense. “I’m going home,” “This isn’t worth it,” or “I’m going to get sick,” were just some of the phrases that could be heard when the drizzle turned into rain. The bus stops along the main road or some establishments in the area became impromptu shelters. As had happened hours before, it was again a minor incident that did not escalate. As soon as that crisis subsided a little, the party regained momentum.
Tegueste opens each year the calendar of the great pilgrimages of Tenerife, and being the first, always represents a particular tribute to local customs, to agriculture and livestock, to the yesterday of the land. This edition was no exception. It also maintained a feature that is probably already part of its DNA: being celebrated in the middle of the academic year, it is a pilgrimage with a very young audience.
“I come from Santa Cruz and they are from La Laguna. We are classmates at the University and decided to meet each other here,” said Raúl Pérez. “I had come before with my parents before the pandemic,” he said, and added, “I’m not that crazy about pilgrimages and seeing all the parade and wagons; honestly, I come more to hang out with friends.” A confession probably shared by many.
The boats of Tegueste, San Luis and El Socorro, as well as the wagons of Pedro Álvarez, Las Canteras, El Gamonal, El Murgaño, Los Binchenis, Colegio Teófilo Pérez, La Pedrera, Imidahuem, La Gorgolana, El Cantillo, Teguazo, La Canocha, La Peña, El Molino, La Padilla, Tesegue, Los Currillos, Achineche, Isizo, Mahey, Chinijos, El Garabato, La Golisma, Los Puntales, Escuela La Padilla and San Luis made up a procession in which there was no shortage of music from folk groups.
“It’s a shame that with all the effort these people have put in, it’s raining like this.” The phrase, expressed at the worst moment of rain, is from Carmen María, a resident of El Sobradillo who decided to attend Tegueste with her sister and brother-in-law. “I love the wagons, the groups, the taifa dances, the music… I go to all pilgrimages whenever I can,” she said.
Carmen María was not wrong. Behind each group of cart drivers is an immense amount of work. In the case of El Gamonal, they started in early October. Evening after evening, moment after moment, grain by grain… “We not only make paintings, but also other relief elements,” explained Antonio López. “This year is about the Guanches, and we have images of fishing, the homesteads, the menceyatos… and thirteen paintings,” he listed. “For me, it’s the strongest wagon we’ve ever made. I’m proud because it has turned out very well,” he celebrated.
The events of the 56th edition of the Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Mark the Evangelist began at 11:30 am with the Eucharistic celebration that preceded the pilgrimage, which went through the streets La Audiencia, El Carmen, Nueva, Prebendado Pacheco, Plaza de San Marcos, El Pinar and La Placeta. According to sources from the Tegueste Town Hall, at 2:00 pm, there were around 10,000 people enjoying the festival.
Tegueste dresses up as a magician in honour of Saint Mark the Evangelist / Arturo Jiménez
“With the Tegueste Pilgrimage, it is demonstrated that traditions are experiencing their best moment thanks to the great work of the cart drivers and the beauty of their wagons, as well as the dance, the folk music groups, and the boats,” pointed out the Mayor of Tegueste, Ana Rosa Mena. “The Tegueste pilgrimage has a unique personality given by the set of traditions and centuries of history of the boats and dances, as well as the involvement of many families with the wagons, authentic symbols of Tegueste,” she said. “We are proud of the cultural heritage we possess and that we will continue to defend so that neither the passage of time nor the evolution of society makes us forget our roots,” Mena continued, expressing her gratitude to all the people “who have respectfully attended this pilgrimage dressed in traditional attire, a noteworthy fact that helps us continue to uphold our celebrations.”
This Monday, starting at 2:00 pm, another key event of the festivities in honour of Saint Mark the Evangelist will take place: the Day of the Cart Driver. This is an event where cart drivers and their wagons are the main protagonists, but where gastronomy and tradition as a whole also play a significant role.
