After more than 20 years, posts here will now only be occasional ( |
| Thrones await the Three Kings on the Eve of Epiphany, January 5th |
Two public holidays begin the year: Wednesday 1 January, New Year's Day and Monday 6 January for 'Los Reyes' (Three Kings Day), or Epiphany. On The Eve of Epiphany, Sunday 5 January 2020, there will be the many visits from that very busy trio of monarchs, bringing gifts to children young and old.
Once again, the 22ª Feria Artesanía en Reyes (Three Kings Crafts Fair) and the 11º Mercado Navideño de Artesanía (Christmas Crafts Market) are taking place from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 January 2020. In Santa Cruz, the Three Kings crafts fair will be located in the Plaza del Príncipe de Asturias, and in the Plaza del Adelantado in La Laguna. The provisional listing for 2020 suggests a total of 77 stalls: 46 in Santa Cruz and 31 in La Laguna. All of the stall holders are licensed artisans. Opening times last year (pretty much the same each year) were from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm on the 2, 3 and 4 January; and from 11:00 am to midnight on 5 January, Eve of Epiphany, for very last minute shoppers!
Municipal holidays in January are: 20 January for the Festivity of San Sebastián in Adeje and 22 January is Festivity of San Vicente in Los Realejos.
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| Arona's San Antonio Abad 2020 |
Arona always bills its Romería de San Antonio Abad as the the first of the year and in 2020 this is no different. Having seen the Calendar of Romerías in Tenerife 2020, we discover that there's been one already, but we'll let it go.
These fiestas include a solemn mass and procession on Friday, January 17, followed by a chocolatada, fireworks and dancing to Orquesta Deliciosa. There's workshops, games, traditional sports and the children's festival on Saturday 18 January. And on Sunday, January 19, at 10:00 a.m., the crafts fair will take place in the Plaza del Santísimo Cristo de la Salud, while at 11.00 mass, sung by the Parranda Chasnera, will be celebrated in the parish church of San Antonio Abad. After the mass, the Romería of San Antonio Abad Romería (pilgrimage) will be celebrated, with the traditional blessing of the animals. Then there's dancing to Orquestas Wamampy and Los Teymar from 3:30 to 10:30 pm.
There's also free transportation to the romería, with departures at 10.00, 11.00 and 12.00 hours from Los Cristianos (Avenida Juan Carlos I, in front of the Infanta Leonor Auditorium) and Playa de las Américas (Calle Noelia Afonso, in front of the Hotel Zentral Center). Return at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00 to the same points.
Complete information with the program [in Spanish] at www.arona.org
January's biggest events are the Festival of San Sebastián in La Caleta, Adeje on 20 January and the Fiestas of San Antonio Abad in Arona, Buenavista del Norte (4th Sunday), Chio, Gúímar, La Matanza de Acentejo, Los Silos (3rd Sunday), Tigaiga and La Florida (La Orotava). Many include Romerías and craft fairs.
These fiestas include a solemn mass and procession on Friday, January 17, followed by a chocolatada, fireworks and dancing to Orquesta Deliciosa. There's workshops, games, traditional sports and the children's festival on Saturday 18 January. And on Sunday, January 19, at 10:00 a.m., the crafts fair will take place in the Plaza del Santísimo Cristo de la Salud, while at 11.00 mass, sung by the Parranda Chasnera, will be celebrated in the parish church of San Antonio Abad. After the mass, the Romería of San Antonio Abad Romería (pilgrimage) will be celebrated, with the traditional blessing of the animals. Then there's dancing to Orquestas Wamampy and Los Teymar from 3:30 to 10:30 pm.
There's also free transportation to the romería, with departures at 10.00, 11.00 and 12.00 hours from Los Cristianos (Avenida Juan Carlos I, in front of the Infanta Leonor Auditorium) and Playa de las Américas (Calle Noelia Afonso, in front of the Hotel Zentral Center). Return at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00 to the same points.
Complete information with the program [in Spanish] at www.arona.org
Fiestas of San Antonio Abad in Los Silos
If you're in the north of the island, however, then the town of Los Silos will also be holding its Fiestas in honour of San Antonio Abad, with the Feria del Ganado y Artesanía (Livestock and Crafts Fair) taking place behind the church and in and around the Plaza de la Luz on Sunday 19 January. Information from the town hall is that this is from 2:30 pm, with the blessing of the livestock and pets followed by the Mil Leches Salsa Band.January's biggest events are the Festival of San Sebastián in La Caleta, Adeje on 20 January and the Fiestas of San Antonio Abad in Arona, Buenavista del Norte (4th Sunday), Chio, Gúímar, La Matanza de Acentejo, Los Silos (3rd Sunday), Tigaiga and La Florida (La Orotava). Many include Romerías and craft fairs.
Monday 20 January 2020 will see the climax of the Fiestas of San Sebastián, one of the most popular annual events on the south of the island, in La Caleta, Adeje, most famous for the bathing of horses in the sea at La Enramada beach.
As in previous years, there are several options scheduled for the Rutas de Almendros en Flor 2020 (Almond Blossom Routes), between 25 January to 15 February. The routes on offer this year are:
- Saturday, 25 January 9am - Short general walk (4 hours, medium difficulty, minimum age 8).
- Saturday, 25 January 9am - Long general walk (5 hours, high difficulty, minimum age 12).
- Saturday, 1 February 9am - Family Route (3 hours, low difficulty, minimum age 6).
- Saturday, 8 February 9am - "Without Barriers" route for the disabled, the elderly and their carers. Sign language translation (Spanish) available, as well as a species of sedan chair for those with mobility issues. (3.5 hours, low-medium difficulty, minimum age 6)
- Saturday, 15 February 9am - Lovers route for couples over 18 years, includes artistic actuations (whatever that means, but open mind might be good) and a photocall (3 hours, low difficulty, minimum age 18)
More information and tickets for these walks can be obtained from the town hall of Santiago del Teide by phone to 922 86 31 27 or El Cardón NaturExperience, either online, at the Hotel Meliã Hacienda del Conde, Buenavista del Norte (Mon-Fri 10am - 2pm). Telephone: 922 12 79 38.
Feeding the five-thousand: The district of La Florida, in La Orotava, is getting ready to honour San Antonio Abad (St Anthony the Abbot) and Ntra. Sra. la Virgen de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope). The Gran Puchero is being cooked, using hundreds of kilos of ingredients, on Saturday, 25 January, when events begin at around 2 pm in the afternoon. The cookout involves the entire neighbourhood, gathering about 5,000 people. And the traditional romería on Sunday, 26 January 2020, joined by large numbers of locals and pilgrims from all over the island. This year, the festival includes a wide range of recreational, cultural, religious, culinary and sporting activities, including the traditional Cattle Fair, celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the Gran Puchero (stew) cookout, one of the biggest culinary events in the Canary Islands. La Florida Festival offers a great opportunity to get acquainted with some of the finest local traditions.
