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Corazones de Tejina - The Hearts of Tejina

Corazones de Tejina

On a Sunday close to 24th August, in Tejina - the village is a district of La Laguna - (see map) holds the Corazones de Tejina, part of their annual Fiestas de San Bartolomé, which has been described as "One of Tenerife’s ‘quirky’ fiestas with three beautiful, giant hearts made from fruit and pastries depicting local life and scenes being paraded through the towns streets before they are erected outside of the church and abused by the creators of the other hearts."
 
Corazones de Tejina (The Hearts of Tejina) takes place on the Sunday closest to 24 August. This is one of the most brightly coloured and striking traditions on the island, which is why the residents are so keen to keep it alive. The three main neighbourhoods in the town (El Pico, Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo) bring out the hearts that they have been working on for days. Once raised, an entertaining ritual begins in which each neighbourhood tauntingly mocks the others' hearts.

Romería de San Roque in Garachico

Romería de San Roque in Garachico

Every year thousands of visitors gather in Garachico to participate in one of the most popular and traditional festivals on the island, first held in the 17th century and described as, "Garachico’s most important annual festival when the town fills with pilgrims (and partygoers) from throughout the island. San Roque (Saint Roch), the town’s patron, was credited with saving the town from the Black Death, which arrived in 1601." As tradition marks, at 8:00 a.m. the town will wake up with the 'Viva San Roquito', thanks to the Garachico Musical Group. 

The Romería (Pilgrimage and festivities of San Roque (Garachico), which in 2006 attracted around 30,000, is held annually on 16th August (irrespective of day of the week), from around 2pm. The figure of the Saint is earlier taken from the Ermita de San Roque to the church of Santa Ana, in the town centre and after a religious service, is taken back to its hermitage, accompanied in procession by the municipal band, carts, flocks of goats and other festively bedecked animals, and musical groups (rondallas and parrandas). The fishermen of Garachico hold a sea-going procession, their boats forming part of the Saint's entourage along the coast. The traditional pilgrimage dance is held in the Plaza de San Roque.

And you probably need to try The famous Sangría of San Roque.

Discovery of the Virgin of Candelaria

Ceremony of the Discovery of the Virgin of Candelaria. Image: Candelaria Town Hall

August 15th, Assumption, is celebrated in the town of Candelaria where the patron of the Canary Islands, Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candelaria) resides in her Basilica of Candelaria

Many thousands make a pilgrimage to the basilica each year - the town usually expects around 200,000 visitors on August 14th and 15th, principle days of the celebrations - and the actual veneration takes the form of processions and floral offerings (Romería y Ofrenda Floral - Virgen de Candelaria), but the most popular part of the annual celebrations is the re-enactment or ceremony of the discovery of the figure, which takes place in the Plaza outside the Basilica on 14th August from around 7:30pmThis more than 200 year old re-enactment ceremony is very popular, so be advised to expect total bedlam.

The invocation of the Virgen de la Candelaria or Our Lady of Candelaria had its origin in Tenerife. According to tradition - a legend recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594 - the Virgin appeared, bearing a child in one hand and a candle in the other (hence "Candelaria") on the beach of Chimisay (Güímar), in 1392, long before the Castilian conquest of the island, to two Guanche goatherds. 

When they reached the mouth of a cave, their herd did not advance. One of the shepherds came forward to see what was happening and saw a small wooden image of a woman, about a meter high[1]. It is said that one of the men tried to throw a stone at the statue, but his arm became paralyzed; the other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. The statue was taken by the local Guanche Mencey, Acaymo, to the cave of Chinguaro

Later, this devotion spread and is now celebrated in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay & Venezuela. 

[1] It has long been speculated that what the herdsmen actually found was the figurehead of a ship that had washed ashore, but the original has long since been lost - stories include it being washed out to sea in a flood - so it conveniently cannot be verified. We’ll probably never know if this Madonna was washed up on the beach in Tenerife by the hand of God or by conniving Spaniards.

Tenerife Land of Eternal Christmas

Sunbathing SantaDesert Island ChristmasScuba Diving SantaTropical Santa
Santa's Having a Whale of a TimeSurfing SantaWaterski SantaCamel Rodeo Santa
With a wide range of products in each design, click the pics (above) to see the full selections.