“Fancy a party?” The entertainer in charge of engaging the numerous audience before the start of the San Isidro pilgrimage asked this question yesterday, which had an easy answer. Dozens of people gathered in this area of the municipality of Granadilla de Abona to honour their patron saint, San Isidro, and Santa María de la Cabeza in a crowded pilgrimage walk. The carts and wagons filled the main avenue, while folk groups and dance troupes enlivened the festival that brought together adults but also a large number of children who did not want to miss the celebration.
“We come every year without fail,” stated María José Franco, the mother of Lía and Triana, two young girls who have been immersed in the spirit of this festival from a very young age. And it’s no wonder considering that their mother was a children’s queen in 1987. “We live it intensely, we are from here for our whole lives, and I have been involved in different committees, ultimately I want them to feel it too,” she pointed out. Regarding whether the girls could follow in their mother’s footsteps, she doesn’t provide a definitive answer. “That decision has to come from them, so far they haven’t asked me and I don’t want to push them,” she emphasized.
The heat was intense in San Isidro yesterday, and many tried to quench their thirst. Between songs, a good gulp of wine or beer to regain strength. Thankfully, the wind also made its presence felt, providing some relief to the crowd, although more than one had to chase after their hat that couldn’t withstand being worn on their head.
The San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza pilgrimage brought together seven carts and seven wagons along with their respective folk groups. Leading the procession was La Albarda and the Amigos de Abona group, responsible for kicking off the route.
The pilgrimage in this area of Granadilla is an inclusive celebration that involves people from different parts of the world. An example of this is Mihail Baibarac, a Moldovan citizen who drove one of the wagons in the pilgrimage. “I’ve been here for twenty years and always come,” he affirmed. Fully integrated with his traditional attire, he mentioned that this was the first year they had decided to prepare the wagon. “We decided because my nieces are a bit older now and can enjoy it more,” he explained. What he enjoys most about the festival is the music and the food, “and preserving the tradition.”
Moments before the start of the pilgrimage, Matías was preparing the embers to start cooking chorizo and kebabs. “We won’t be lacking anything,” he assured. The wagon was loaded with gofio, cheese, wine, meat, eggs, and potatoes to distribute among the participants. “We have always come, and in recent years, enjoying the procession with the wagon has made it a different experience,” he appreciated. Along with Alma, Alba, Leandro, or Elena, they were gearing up for a different Sunday to the beat of the music.
If the cart had been set up on the back of a truck and was too high to serve the pilgrims, ingenuity was sharpened to find solutions. Sticks, shovels, or any utensil served to transport the pilgrims the food and drinks they requested. “Ladies, take an egg as it’s good for your hair, don’t go buy anything from the pharmacy,” shouted one of the women distributing items. No one was to go hungry.
This year, the route that was travelled long ago was also recovered. The pilgrimage started from the roundabout near Corín Metal, continuing along Santa Cruz Avenue to the hermitage of San Isidro. From there, it continued to the Victoria Shopping Centre.
At the hermitage, the images of San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza patiently awaited the pilgrim procession to make the traditional offering. Moments before the arrival of the first carts and wagons, the final touches were being given to the image of the saint, with the wind also posing a challenge by moving her cloak forward.
There, many children took the microphone to shout, “Long live San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza!”, which was immediately echoed by the crowd, most of whom were not dressed in wizard attire but nonetheless showed fervour.
The local police also provided directions to a confused foreign cyclist who had strayed onto the closed-off route. Meanwhile, everyone eagerly awaited the appearance of the first wagon, which arrived there after half-past one in the afternoon. After the end of the pilgrimage, the festivities were supposed to continue at the Fairground with a dance featuring the orchestras Ideales, Nueva Ilusión, and Wamampy.
But even the pilgrimage does not mark the end of the San Isidro Labrador celebrations, as there will be a mass, procession, and fireworks display both tomorrow and on Wednesday, 15th of May. On the latter day, there will also be children’s activities held throughout the evening.
Subscribe to continue reading
