San Antón
The mountain-top village
of Moclín in Andalusia pays homage to
its patron, Saint Anthony of Egypt, with the San Antón Festival
of religious worship, lively partying and plenty of pork...
San Antón is the protector of animals, pigs in particular, which
would explain why years ago, Moclín celebrated its saint's day
by sacrificing and feasting on one of these curly-tailed animals. The
chosen
swine would visit the houses in the village prior to the festival and
locals would fatten it up with scraps.
This tradition has since been replaced with a less brutal activity. The villagers now contribute money (instead of leftovers) which is used to buy pork chops and sausages from the nearest cash and carry. On the saint's day, these are barbecued and eaten in the village square, where locals eat, drink and dance the night away around a bonfire.
Like any Spanish fiesta, religious activities also form a major part of the day's events. After morning Mass, a religious procession makes its way through the streets of Moclín to the saint's hermitage near the village's Moorish Fortress. Men carry the statue of San Antón and women carry an image of San Sebastián, accompanied by a marching band, priests, nuns and the village population.
If you're in Granada at this time, visit Moclín to catch this
genuine slice of Spanish culture. Note that the event doesn't expect
tourists, so the food and drink on offer at the evening party is usually
enough to cater for villagers only. However, the locals' welcoming
charm may mean you'll end up with a free plate of food anyway!
Every October, thousands
of devotees from all over Spain pour into the tiny Andalucían village of Moclín. They all share the same
mission: to pay respects to the sacred Cristo del Paño painting
on an hour-long pilgrimage.
The Cristo del Paño painting (a large framed image of Christ
carrying his cross) was bestowed to the village in the 15th century
by Spanish
monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. People believe the painting to hold
healing powers.
According to tradition, a blind church warden miraculously regained
his sight when cleaning the painting.
The canvas is placed on a wooden platform and decorated with flower garlands. The sacred image emerges from the village church balancing on the shoulders of over thirty men and accompanied by a marching brass band, priests, nuns and barefoot candle-carrying pilgrims. The procession makes its way slowly through the village square and along the main street, before returning to the church.
Although strongly rooted in religious tradition, the pilgrimage is also an opportunity for locals to have a lively party and also make some money. The streets are lined with stalls selling everything from souvenirs, CDs to snacks to rosaries.
Once you've caught the religious spectacle, visit the Moorish Fortress (perched at the peak of the mountain-top) for a dose of nature worship too.