Harvest festival

The Harvest Festival is popular and much loved by all Fuencalenteros. It has been held since the 19th century and at first the events were held in the Los Quemados neighborhood. It was not until 1948 when it was permanently moved to its current location: the Los Canarios neighborhood. The Harvest Festival is full of different cultural and sporting events, such as the performance of the theater association “Las Viejas Solteronas”, which with its popular comedy of a group of friends theatre with singing as the guiding thread. many picaresque women remain single at home, encouraging both neighbors and foreigners. Also noteworthy are the versers, poets with the ability to improvise and sing tenths, aided by musical accompaniment, capturing the listeners’ attention.

On the day of the pilgrimage, there is a procession of carriages made by residents of each of the neighborhoods of the municipality where resound the popular folklore of the Echentive group and some invited groups. The carriages, which months before, are adorned with objects related to the grape harvest and the job of the winegrowers. Typical products of the area are distributed and of course wine, with Denomination of Origin La Palma, from the most representative wineries of the municipality.

At the end of the festival, the traditional dance of the “Fuscos Horses”, made with a wooden frame and reeds, covered in fabric and tissue paper of many colors, performing a parade to the town square where the spectators wait for them to the rhythm of the polka played by the municipal music band; There are many tourists who come to Fuencaliente to enjoy this party. And it is that nothing better than the tasting of the typical wines of here and its gastronomy to attract the visitor.

FESTIVITIES OF PINO DE LA VIRGEN

In the middle of the Canarian pine forest with the scent of resin, 5 km. from Los Canarios, accessed by a dirt track, stands the legendary pine tree of La Virgen. Her old growth ring drips the blood that gives vitality and guards the virgin carefully. The branches, as arms, protect the small image celebrated in pilgrimage by the faithful where before it was the feast of “los caleteros”, the name of the inhabitants of a small and charming neighborhood of the municipality but which today is a popular festival of all fuencalenteros. They say that when this traditional festival became popular, people from all over the municipality gathered, but also from other towns on the island. Like the inhabitants of the nearby Montes de Luna, a neighborhood that always had a lot of connection with this party, also sharing other events in one or another neighborhood, such as dances, gallofas, etc.

Today, the locals attend this traditional festival where music is the protagonist and the public enjoy a day full of traditional activities such as sack races, wooden car competitions and a Canarian wrestling competing between single or married men in a way friendly, without forgetting the mass and the traditional lunch in community. This traditional festival is celebrated every second Sunday in August.

FESTIVITIES OF PINO DE SANTO DOMINGO

It is one of the most beautiful example of Canary Island pine (Pinus Canariensis) that exist on La Palma. Its size of its segments that nearly touch the ground, the thickness of its trunk with 5.20 meters in circumference and its 21 meters in height, gives a unique figure.
Located at the crossroads of the royal roads that connect the two slopes of this Island, at an altitude of 785 meters, it served as a shelter for walkers and tells the oral tradition that it was planted by a priest from San Miguel de Tazacorte who used to go to celebrate mass at the hermitage of Las Nieves de Santa Cruz de La Palma and that both on the outward journey and on the return he carried water on his horse to irrigate it.
Its name comes from Santo Domingo de la Calzada, builder of the Camino de Santiago that passes through that beautiful place located in the autonomous community of La Rioja. It is believed that the name was given by the priest who “paternalized” him, a great expert of the history of the Saint.
Currently, it has a small rest area with tables under the shade of this wonderful specimen of Canarian pine, with a capacity for 70 people.
It takes place in July, when we can enjoy the good weather and the locals meet again with friends and family in a beautiful Canarian pine.In 2011, since it was rehabilitated and a recreational area was created in the place, every July 21, the residents of Fuencaliente celebrate with a popular meal under the shade of the pine and listening to the improvised art of singing by the versadores, as they used to do. Our ancestors, who well remember walking to the place where each family brought their food, met to chat and the children participated in any traditional game, being a happy and family party. It is undoubtedly an opportunity to learn about the traditions of the Canarian people.

VIRGEN DEL CARMEN FESTIVAL

Patron Saint of sailors, it is celebrated on July 16 and is one of the main festivals in the municipality of Fuencaliente. First, Hundreds of people gather in La Playa de Puntalarga for a mass and then they gather to see the Virgin come out, whose throne is carried by the women or the faithful to the image to the main boat that leaves in a maritime procession to the lighthouse beach where some neighbors dedicate a poem to her, being a very emotional act. The day before the procession, El Faro neighborhood association prepares a popular lunch as the start of the festival with a festival under the marquee of the small boats and on Sunday, the day of the pilgrimage on boat, it becomes a massive event that everyone who comes to the beaches, enjoys and is encouraged to participate in everything. After being strolled, it returns to its holy place and the Puntalarga neighborhood association holds a popular lunch that invites everyone who comes to the place. Fireworks and shouting: Long live the Virgen del Carmen!, help to create a more festive atmosphere.

THE FESTIVAL OD SAN ANTONIO ABAD

In the Canary Islands, the images of San Antonio Abad, protector of animals, occur in numerous hermitages and temples. However, the municipality of Fuencaliente is the only one on the island of La Palma where this Saint is configured as the patron saint of the municipality.

Every 17th January, the local priest performs the traditional blessing of the animals in the church square. When the afternoon arrives, the image of San Antonio Abad comes out in procession on the shoulders of the residents of Fuencaliente along with the municipal music band through the streets of the town. In addition to the carving that we can see on the altar of the Church of San Antonio Abad, there is another of the same size in the chapel of the Cemetery.

Festivities of the Virgen del Cobre

The Virgen del Cobre is found in the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Charity in Santiago de Cuba and was declared patron of Cuba in 1916. Legend has it that three fishermen went to look for salt in Nipe Bay, when there a storm was occurred that the small boat and its three crew members was put at risk. After praying for protection, the storm was disappeared and they was discover a floating image. It was the Virgen del Cobre.

In the 19th century, coinciding with a time of massive emigration of people to Cuba in search of a better future, a neighbor who traveled to this Caribbean island brought the image to venerate it and keep it at his home in the Los Quemados Since then it has remained at the same address, being cared for and preserved by Ms. Antonia Cabrera Hernández (Delfina) until today.

By tradition, it is known that at the end of the 19th century and until the end of the 1950s, the festivities in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre were celebrated in the neighborhood. Many residents of the town who lived at that time, remember with special affection of the celebration of this endearing festival.
The festivities that normally took place in the month of July lasted three days, coinciding with a weekend. The start of the party was announced by a “rain of fireworks” that broke the tranquility and silence of a neighborhood that awaited the beginning of some long-awaited and desired festivities. Numerous acts were held, both festive and religious in nature: sack race, Caballos Fuscos race, dances and festivals in the Plaza de Los Quemados (Plaza de la Amistad), parades, an allegorical float that represented Spain and some of its territories, in which some women from the neighborhood dressed in the typical costume of each region, made for the corresponding offerings. The theater also had its place in these festivities, representing some popular comedies and whose participants were always residents of the neighborhood.

The Virgin of La Caridad del Cobre was moved from the home of Antonia Cabrera Hernández to the neighborhood school where it remained on an altar decorated with great care by the neighbors. There it remained next to the image of the Child Jesus and Thanksgiving to the Virgin was celebrated as well as various songs of motets and litanies. From there, the main day of celebration of the festival on Sunday, both images were moved to the square of the neighborhood where the Loa was sung.

One of the main and most anticipated events by all the residents and that is still remembered with special affection, took place during a break from the festival on the main day of the celebration of the festival, staging the appearance of the Virgen del Cobre the three fishermen in the middle of a storm. Then, a dialogue between the Virgin and the three fishermen was interpreted. These characters were represented by a girl and three boys from the neighborhood. The Caballos Fuscos also had their appearance that in a parade and carrying fireworks traveled the road of the neighborhood until they reached the square where they danced to the sound of their music. The party ended on the third day with the election of a new president and butler, in charge of organizing the party for the following year, and a dance in honor of the newly elected president. in the Plaza de la Amistad.