Under a milder temperature than the previous day, Candelaria enjoyed a lively day from early morning yesterday, with the square of the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands bustling with visitors, locals, and pilgrims who didn’t want to miss the event. The central event of the day, the Eucharist, is the focal point of the celebrations scheduled for the 15th of August, which marks the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin.
The Marian Village had another day filled with faith and tradition, with a significant presence of pilgrims who followed the designated routes to the basilica to fulfill their promises to loved ones. From the early hours, groups organized by parishes started arriving at the sanctuary. Some even undertook the journey barefoot as a gesture of gratitude and devotion to La Morenita.
The day commenced at 8:00 in the morning with the drums’ reception and an emotional tribute by the Cultural Association of La Guanchería, from Los Realejos, a tradition upheld for 25 years. Subsequently, at 11:42, a key event took place: the customary military parade, a solemn affair attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the Mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito, His Majesty the King’s representative, Julio Salom Herrera, various mayors and councillors from Tenerife, and the delegation from the Cabildo of Tenerife led by its president, Rosa Dávila, and vice president, Lope Afonso.
A notable guest at the ceremony was the mayor of the Peruvian town of Puno, Javier Ponce, accompanied by the Peruvian ambassador to Spain, Luis Ibérico Núñez. Puno, a town of 100,000 inhabitants in the Andean country’s south, recently entered into a twinning agreement with Candelaria.
The highlight of the celebrations in honour of the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands was the solemn mass presided over by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez. For over an hour and a half, he spoke about the devotion of Candelaria, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin, and Mary’s significant role as an intercessor before God in Christian tradition.
Following the mass, a solemn procession featuring the Sacred Image of the Virgin proceeded around the Plaza de la Patrona. The procession was accompanied by the squad of gasadores and beaters dressed in period uniforms. At the conclusion of the procession, the image was placed alongside the authorities at the main entrance of the Basilica, where a splendid fireworks display lit up the skies of Candelaria.
To conclude the event, the Las Candelas musical band performed the Canary Islands anthem and the Spanish anthem once again, and Bishop Bernardo Álvarez bid farewell to the assembled authorities, marking the end of this solemn and moving day of reverence for La Morenita, a gathering that yet again attracted thousands of Canarians to an indispensable event.
