In the images, various moments of the celebrations for San Sebastián held yesterday morning in Caleta de Adeje. On these lines, the mayor, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, carries the image of the saint.
Thousands of people gathered yesterday in Caleta de Adeje to enjoy the big day of one of the oldest celebrations on the Island. San Sebastián is a festivity in honor of the co-patron of the Adejero municipality that dates back to the 18th century in a place cult prior to the Conquest. The attendees attended the mass, the procession along the beach of La Enramada and the blessing of animals.
80 horses participated, in addition to dozens of goats, sheep, dogs, donkeys, camels, ponies and birds, all of them accompanied by the owners and duly cared for. From the organization, different areas were fenced off so that the larger animals were kept in optimal conditions, under the shade and with water. The organization also deployed veterinary staff throughout the celebration to guarantee animal welfare at all times.
The procession ran through the square and arranged until it reached La Enramada beach, an area where the riders made their traditional entry into the sea and where lifeguards, local and national police and health personnel were present. After bowing to the sea, as is the tradition, the delegation headed to the area of El Humilladero. Finally, San Sebastián positioned himself at the entrance to the square, which also bears his name, to witness the blessing of the animals.
The mayor of Adeje, José Miguel Roodríguez Fraga, assured about “the town’s festival” that it is “that of people and animals, which every year, except for those of the pandemic, come with devotion.” «San Sebastián links us with tradition and with the origin of the town, which dates back to the encounter between Castilians, Portuguese and natives. From that moment on, this place was built”, underlined Rodríguez Fraga.
The history of the festival of San Sebastián in Adeje began in the early years of the 18th century in a place of worship prior to the Conquest of the Castilians. Over the years, it has evolved along with social changes. From the beginning it has been a party related to the world of the countryside. Many peasants, not only from Adeje but from all over the South and even from the Island, joined this festival and made it their own.
The venerated Adejera carving of San Sebastián, which was brought to the municipality at the request of the parish priest Eulogio Gutiérrez Estévez (1851-1917, a native of Icod de los Vinos and who spent 17 years in Adeje), celebrates a century of history this year. Numerous miracles are attributed to this image. Still today, there are many people who resort to San Sebastián de Adeje in the hope of a quick cure from their ailments or to request a favor or fulfill a promise.
Coexistence and tranquility were the keynote of the celebration. All the garden areas were enabled so that people could enjoy the party in which many people of all ages, origins and cultures gathered.
About the history, the mayor pointed out that “it is possible that it is the oldest party in the south of Tenerife». «The Guanches already had celebrations in this area and, after Christianization, they continued to celebrate and that continuity, which has been totally spontaneous, is a deep root that tells us that we do not exhaust ourselves in our individuality but that we belong to a community» , he concluded.
