Fiestas del Pilar
Encyclopedia
Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival
celebrated in the city of Zaragoza
(Spain
) in honour of the patron saint
of the city, the Virgen del Pilar (Virgin Mary of the Pilar). They take place the week of the 12th of October. Usually, the festival starts the weekend before the 12th, and lasts until the following Sunday, so they last about ten days.
In this festival, there are a wide variety of events organized by the City Hall. Moreover, other private companies and organizations also prepare their own shows, contest
s and other activities.
The main events in the festival include:
or of any other region in Spain, bring flowers to the Virgin, placed in the centre of the Plaza del Pilar. There, an army of volunteers put the flowers in a pyramidal structure, tiling a flower mantle around the Virgin, which remains in the square for the rest of the festival so that all the people in the city can see it. People can participate in the offering individually, or in a group. These groups are organized by schools, companies, villages and other organizations, and they put on a parade around the main streets in the city centre to get to the square.
Some evidence of the popularity of the Offering of Flowers in Zaragoza are the great number of groups taking part in each edition (378 in 2005, for instance) and the duration of the parade, which lasts usually over eight hours. The record of participation was accomplished in 2009, when 450000 people took part in it.
The tradition of the Offering started in 1952, when a group of representatives of the City Hall of Zaragoza attended the festival of Castellón de la Plana
. There, they witnessed a similar celebration, which they decided to import to their home land. The first edition of the Offering of Flowers in Zaragoza was in 1958.
Nowadays, in the Virgin’s flower mantle appears the Cross of Lorena
, the symbol of the world wide fight against tuberculosis
. This cross has been chosen as an offer by the Hospital General Royo Villanova (a local hospital). The origin of this tradition is attached to the first years of the Offering: One of the patients of this hospital was often visited by an important employee of the City Hall, and during one of their conversations they came up with the idea of the hospital offering the Cross of Lorena to the Virgin in the Offering of Flowers. As the patients cannot bring the flowers themselves, the Queen of the festival and her Court of Honour bring the Cross to the mantle on their behalf. The first offering of flowers by the hospital was in 1960.
.
s, mainly from the land of Aragon, but also from other autonomous communities, since most regions have a representative house in Zaragoza. The Offering of Fruits is earlier than the Offering of Flowers, as its first edition took place in 1949.
and art
. It consists of 29 parade floats made of glass (usually known as “faroles”) and illuminated from the inside. Fifteen of them represent the mysteries of the rosary, while the others represent different topics, as the Basilica del Pilar, the Sagrada Familia
or the Hispanidad. There are also lots of lampposts and standards, which are also made of glass. The floats were carried on people’s shoulders until 1926 and it wasn’t until 1940 that electricity was used to illuminate them. The parade starts in the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, where it is kept during the year, the 13th at sunset, and it follows a route around the main streets in the city centre. Its origin dates from 1889. Most of the parade floats were designed by the local architect Ricardo Magdalena, who also built the Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza
in the 19th century.
are beyond the shadow of a doubt one of the most beloved traditions for the people of Zaragoza. They are people dressed in costume
s that make them look big-headed, in the case of “cabezudos”, or like giants, in the case of “gigantes”. They pour out into the street from different spots in the city every day of the festival, so as to cover all the areas. There are nine “cabezudos”, all of them with different shapes and names. These characters are well-known by everyone (“el Morico”, “el Boticario”, “el Robaculeros”, “el Torero”, “el Tuerto”, “el Forano”, “la Forana”, “el Verrugón” and “la Pilara”) and each of them has its own song. They are teased by the children and teens, and they answer to this provocation by chasing them along the streets and hitting them gently with whipcords. The gigantes, on the other hand, are the serious part of the show, and they entertain the people with their elegant dances in pairs. The crew comes from the Middle Ages
, although the current ones were designed in 1849 by the sculptor Félix Oroz., and recovered again recently after a period when they were modified.
s dedicated to different types of products, such as Food, Furniture, Cars and Science. There are also some ludic activities designed to entertain the visitors.
” takes place in the Theme Park of Zaragoza, under a big awning. Here, you can enjoy typical German products and large amounts of imported beer. The waitresses are dressed in German costumes and there’s a traditional Germanic orchestra playing. This fair is visited by about three thousand people a day.
ring of Zaragoza takes place this fair, which brings to the city the best bullfighters. Not only are there bullfights, but people can also attend various popular events, contests and even comic shows. This fair ends the Spanish bullfighting season. Another special feature of this bullfighting fair is the Teflon piece of cloth that covers the grades and the arena, if necessary.
is held in the Fair Enclosure of Valdespartera. Here you can find a wide variety of roller coaster
s, ability tests, raffles and so on.
s.Some of these concerts are organized by the City Hall, and are therefore free, whereas the rest of them are organized for other organizations, as for example Interpeñas, so you have to pay for your ticket. It is also common for the circus to visit the city in the festival.
Some of the most frequent bands which play during the Fiestas are: Ska-P
, La Fuga
, El Canto del Loco
, Amaral, Rapsusklei, Violadores del Verso
and other well-known Spanish bands. People can enjoy music of many different genres: going from pop to rock, passing through rap and even classical music, entertainment is guaranteed.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
celebrated in the city of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) in honour of the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of the city, the Virgen del Pilar (Virgin Mary of the Pilar). They take place the week of the 12th of October. Usually, the festival starts the weekend before the 12th, and lasts until the following Sunday, so they last about ten days.
In this festival, there are a wide variety of events organized by the City Hall. Moreover, other private companies and organizations also prepare their own shows, contest
Contest
A contest is an event in which at least two teams or individuals compete. There may be an award to a winner or awards for multiple top performers, but a contest may be imposed for training...
s and other activities.
The main events in the festival include:
Solemne misa de Infantes (Solemn Mass of Infants)
The first mass in the day is celebrated in the Saint Chapel of the Basilica del Pilar, around 4.30 a.m. This mass is really popular, and the chapel is packed with worshippers.The Offering of Flowers
This is the high point of the festival, and a great demonstration of the people’s devotion to the Virgin. During the morning and afternoon of the 12th of October, hundreds of thousands of people, dressed in the traditional costume of AragonAragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
or of any other region in Spain, bring flowers to the Virgin, placed in the centre of the Plaza del Pilar. There, an army of volunteers put the flowers in a pyramidal structure, tiling a flower mantle around the Virgin, which remains in the square for the rest of the festival so that all the people in the city can see it. People can participate in the offering individually, or in a group. These groups are organized by schools, companies, villages and other organizations, and they put on a parade around the main streets in the city centre to get to the square.
Some evidence of the popularity of the Offering of Flowers in Zaragoza are the great number of groups taking part in each edition (378 in 2005, for instance) and the duration of the parade, which lasts usually over eight hours. The record of participation was accomplished in 2009, when 450000 people took part in it.
The tradition of the Offering started in 1952, when a group of representatives of the City Hall of Zaragoza attended the festival of Castellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana or Castelló de la Plana is the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea...
. There, they witnessed a similar celebration, which they decided to import to their home land. The first edition of the Offering of Flowers in Zaragoza was in 1958.
Nowadays, in the Virgin’s flower mantle appears the Cross of Lorena
Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...
, the symbol of the world wide fight against tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. This cross has been chosen as an offer by the Hospital General Royo Villanova (a local hospital). The origin of this tradition is attached to the first years of the Offering: One of the patients of this hospital was often visited by an important employee of the City Hall, and during one of their conversations they came up with the idea of the hospital offering the Cross of Lorena to the Virgin in the Offering of Flowers. As the patients cannot bring the flowers themselves, the Queen of the festival and her Court of Honour bring the Cross to the mantle on their behalf. The first offering of flowers by the hospital was in 1960.
Misa Pontifical (Pontifical Mass)
After the Offering of Flowers, a mass is celebrated in the Basilica del Pilar at 12 p.m., followed by a paradeParade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
.
The Offering of Fruits
In the morning of the 13th, another parade takes place with a route similar to that of the Offering of Flowers, in which people bring to the Virgin a variety of fruitFruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, mainly from the land of Aragon, but also from other autonomous communities, since most regions have a representative house in Zaragoza. The Offering of Fruits is earlier than the Offering of Flowers, as its first edition took place in 1949.
Rosario de Cristal (Rosary of Glass)
The parade of the Rosario de Cristal is unique in the world, and it combines religiosityReligiosity
Religiosity, in its broadest sense, is a comprehensive sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious activity, dedication, and belief . Another term that would work equally well, though is less often used, is religiousness...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. It consists of 29 parade floats made of glass (usually known as “faroles”) and illuminated from the inside. Fifteen of them represent the mysteries of the rosary, while the others represent different topics, as the Basilica del Pilar, the Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia
The ' , commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí...
or the Hispanidad. There are also lots of lampposts and standards, which are also made of glass. The floats were carried on people’s shoulders until 1926 and it wasn’t until 1940 that electricity was used to illuminate them. The parade starts in the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, where it is kept during the year, the 13th at sunset, and it follows a route around the main streets in the city centre. Its origin dates from 1889. Most of the parade floats were designed by the local architect Ricardo Magdalena, who also built the Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza
University of Zaragoza
The University of Zaragoza or sometimes Saragossa University is a university located in Zaragoza, in the Aragon region of Spain...
in the 19th century.
Pregón (Opening speech)
The pregon is the opening speech of the festival. It is read the Saturday before the 12th of October from the balcony in the City Hall. Every year a different person, usually well-known or related to the region of Aragon, is in charge of reading the speech. In the last five years, the readers (called “pregoneros”) have been:- 2010 - Álvaro Arbeloa (Football player)
- 2009 - José Antonio Labordeta (Politician, singer and writer)
- 2008 - Guillermo Herrera (Volunteer at the Expo Zaragoza 2008)
- 2007 - Lita Claver "la Maña" (Artist of vaudeville)
- 2006 – Amaral (Music group)
Comparsa de gigantes y cabezudos (Crew of gigantes and cabezudos)
The gigantes and cabezudosGigantes y cabezudos
Many Spanish festivals include costumed figures known as gigantes y cabezudos, roughly, “Giants and Big-Heads”, or, in Catalan, gegants i capgrossos...
are beyond the shadow of a doubt one of the most beloved traditions for the people of Zaragoza. They are people dressed in costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s that make them look big-headed, in the case of “cabezudos”, or like giants, in the case of “gigantes”. They pour out into the street from different spots in the city every day of the festival, so as to cover all the areas. There are nine “cabezudos”, all of them with different shapes and names. These characters are well-known by everyone (“el Morico”, “el Boticario”, “el Robaculeros”, “el Torero”, “el Tuerto”, “el Forano”, “la Forana”, “el Verrugón” and “la Pilara”) and each of them has its own song. They are teased by the children and teens, and they answer to this provocation by chasing them along the streets and hitting them gently with whipcords. The gigantes, on the other hand, are the serious part of the show, and they entertain the people with their elegant dances in pairs. The crew comes from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, although the current ones were designed in 1849 by the sculptor Félix Oroz., and recovered again recently after a period when they were modified.
General Fair of Zaragoza
This fair takes place in the exhibition site of Zaragoza. It’s a fair opened for everyone where a wide variety of products are exposed. It is organized as a series of pavilionPavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s dedicated to different types of products, such as Food, Furniture, Cars and Science. There are also some ludic activities designed to entertain the visitors.
Beer Fair
The Beer Fair, known as “OktoberfestOktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
” takes place in the Theme Park of Zaragoza, under a big awning. Here, you can enjoy typical German products and large amounts of imported beer. The waitresses are dressed in German costumes and there’s a traditional Germanic orchestra playing. This fair is visited by about three thousand people a day.
Bullfighting Fair of El Pilar
In the bullfightingBullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
ring of Zaragoza takes place this fair, which brings to the city the best bullfighters. Not only are there bullfights, but people can also attend various popular events, contests and even comic shows. This fair ends the Spanish bullfighting season. Another special feature of this bullfighting fair is the Teflon piece of cloth that covers the grades and the arena, if necessary.
Vaquillas
Every morning during the festival, young cows are released in the bullfighting ring so that young people, who have stayed up all night, can play amateur bullfighting with them. There are usually popular orchestras from the peñas singing and playing there.Activities for Children
Most parks organize activities and shows for young children, such as puppet shows or short theatre plays. Parque Delicias and Parque Jose Antonio Labordeta are well-known for their enjoyable activities.Funfair
The funfairFunfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
is held in the Fair Enclosure of Valdespartera. Here you can find a wide variety of roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s, ability tests, raffles and so on.
Performances
These days, many stages are installed all over the city where all sorts of music groups give concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s.Some of these concerts are organized by the City Hall, and are therefore free, whereas the rest of them are organized for other organizations, as for example Interpeñas, so you have to pay for your ticket. It is also common for the circus to visit the city in the festival.
Some of the most frequent bands which play during the Fiestas are: Ska-P
Ska-P
Ska-P is a ska punk band formed in , Spain, in 1994.The band can be categorized, politically, as an anti-establishment musical group. It is one of the most popular ska bands in Spain, Europe, and Latin America....
, La Fuga
La Fuga
La Fuga is an Argentine 2001 film directed by Eduardo Mignogna.The picture stars Mignogna's friend and frequent collaborator, Ricardo Darin, as well as Miguel Angel Sola, Gerardo Romano, Patricio Contreras, Ines Estevez, Alejandro Awada and Norma Aleandro.-Plot:In the summer of 1928, seven inmates...
, El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco is a Spanish pop rock band, although its members recognize that some of their songs are more in the style of power pop....
, Amaral, Rapsusklei, Violadores del Verso
Violadores del Verso
Violadores del Verso , also known as Doble V, are a rap music crew from Zaragoza, Spain. They used the name Doble V but were forced to return to their original long name, due to legal problems...
and other well-known Spanish bands. People can enjoy music of many different genres: going from pop to rock, passing through rap and even classical music, entertainment is guaranteed.