Icod of the Wines boasts of being the town in Spain with the most living traditions and this Saturday, April 29, 2023, on the occasion of the Walk of Traditionstakes almost all of them out into the street together in a parade that unites the tables of San Andres; the hachitos and the bigheads of Las Canales; the devil and the devil of Las Angustias; the decorated pivas and kites De La Vega; the balloon, the bread and the gofio of San Antonio; the boat from San Marcos Beach; the little hachitos from Las Charnecas; the rods from San Isidro; the baskets and buns from Santa Bárbara and the hachitos, or he hacked and the pennyroyal of El Amparo, among others.
The mayor of Icodense, Francis Gonzalez (CC)invites residents and visitors to enjoy this original tradition that unites most of the local traditions in a single parade, which began to be held more than 25 years ago because of the festivity of San Marcos. “This tour is a representation of what Icod is and it is worth visiting our municipality to get to know it better on this day and share this beautiful experience with us,” he emphasizes. Virtually all local traditions can be seen, with the exception of some of a purely religious nature such as that of the Dead Lord
«Icod is well known for the millennial dragon, but it also has a whole world to discover in which its nature is found, with attractions such as the Cueva del Viento; its historical, civil and religious heritage, and also that intangible Icod, that of its living traditions and customs, with manifestations such as the tables of San Andrés or the Guanches of La Candelaria», emphasizes the president.
An effort of generations
The walk of traditions begins, unofficially, in the middle of the afternoon, when the representatives of traditions that arrive from the different nuclei of the municipality begin to move towards the town. La Candelaria, Las Canales, Las Charnecas, San Antonio, San Marcos Beach, Buen Paso, Santa Bárbara, El Amparo or La Vega, among other nuclei. For Francis Gonzalez«if we are the town with the most living traditions, it is thanks to the effort made, historically, by generations of Icodenses who have formed this town of towns, with a dispersed population, which has jealously guarded so many different traditions, which have been maintained and strengthened to the present.
ethnographic show
These groups meet in the area of El Calvario, around the El Preceptor ravine and the Sanctuary of Cristo del Calvario, where begins a walk that runs along San Agustín and San Sebastián streets, «what we icodenses call the Right Street, which joins the Sanctuary of El Calvario with the church of San Marcos». When you arrive at the Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres square, the patron saint will be waiting to receive all those local traditions. «An entire ethnographic and religious spectacle», in the mayor’s opinion, «in which traditions of the Night of San Juan are mixed, such as the hachitos from the beach, Las Charnecas, Las Canales or El Amparo, where the pagan and the religious, with many others. A show that our people have known how to defend and that does not happen anywhere else ».
The walk of traditions will depart this Saturday at around 9:00 p.m. from El Calvario to Plaza Andrés de Lorenzo Cácereswhere it will later be held a Canarian convivial dinner and a dance of magicians. «It will be a meeting with families, neighbors, party committees, traditions… an opportunity to share and also enjoy the subsequent dance of magicians. To whom we ask to go with the typical costume, “explains González.
“We will review the post”
The City Council of Icodense and LeCanarien Ediciones published in November 2022 the book immaterial ycodwhich brings together most of the traditions of the people of Icodense and which, according to González, “will also include in a future edition The Guanches of La Candelaria, which should be there because they are one of our most beloved traditions. The president acknowledges that this publication, which includes 23 living traditions, will have to be revised “so that it includes that tradition of the Guanches of Icod, which has history, entity and recognition to be there. That is our commitment.” Francis Gonzalez wants to publicly acknowledge “all those men and women from La Candelaria, El Paredón and beyond, who have always maintained and defended that tradition of the Guanches, so loved and felt by the devotion that exists for the Virgin of Candelaria” .
