San Juan Bautista
The festivities of the municipality are in honor of the Patron Saint Saint John the Baptist. This activity begins on June 22 with the download of the image, there is a procession and pilgrimage through the different families of San Juan, solemn mass, bullfighting festivals, buff games, the encostalado, burned with gunpowder, the lucio stick, a gastronomic fair. It is celebrated with great faith and devotion.
On the night of June 23, the Saint's candle is held, the most important of all the activities is the Procession of the Patron Saint, on June 24, and the traditional meeting of San Juan Bautista Pequeno and San Juan Bautista Grande, an event that takes place in the main streets of the city where the believing people participate massively.
La Virgen del Carmen, is the patron saint of fishermen and sailors, its celebration takes place from July 3 to 16, this religious celebration is related to the first foundation of the city, the work of fishermen and the use of the resources of the sea. It is a tradition where mainly the protagonists are the fishermen who do it with great devotion and gratitude to the Virgin, the people in general also participate.
The main activity that is carried out is the "Aquatic Procession in the High Seas", to the sound of the marimba rondalla, where fishermen, sailors and the population participate in the boats that accompany the Co-patron on this tour that takes place year every year on July 16, the day of greatest excitement. At present this event is a religious, cultural and tourist reference of relevance in the municipality.
The Virgen del Carmen enters the port on her shoulders, followed by the multitude of devout parishioners who participate in the tour of the sea. The guide boat of the procession is adorned with colored ribbons, flowers and a small altar.
In the port all the sailors and fishermen make their small and large boats available to transport the devout population free of charge. This procession goes into the sea for six kilometers, followed by the devotees in boats, boats and pangas. The procession begins with music and pilgrimage. Behind follow the faithful to the Virgen del Carmen in small boats, most of them are fishermen's boats. The tour lasts an hour and a half, walking to the image of the Virgin where the fishermen carry out their tasks.
Upon their return to the port, at six o'clock in the afternoon, the town receives the Virgin and again they take her out in procession on their shoulders to the church. Women, the elderly, children, youth and men participate in the religious march. Accompanied by musicians and a waste of gunpowder, they enter the church, where the parish priest waits for the Virgin to officiate a mass for all those present and the faithful. This mass marks the end of religious activities in honor of La Virgen del Carmen. This solemnity is massive, crowded and the festivities last 13 days, due to the pilgrimage that the venerated image makes in San Juan families.
Another religious celebration is in honor of San José Obrero, it takes place on April 30 and May 1, in the El Ostional fishing community.
Virgin of the Pilar
Other traditional customs that take place within the framework of this festival are:
The purest, On December 7 or popularly the Gritería, it is carried out with the arrangements and blessing of the altars to the sound of music alluding to the image, and the distribution of the toast such as traditional sweets and corn chicha, this festival is very crowded and the festivities last one day.
Virgin of the Pilar, It is celebrated on October 12 in the community of Tortuga. It begins with a vigil the night before, a solemn mass is held. There are also traditional activities such as ribbon races that are very attractive and well attended by the locals; this date only lasts one day.
In the Community of Zaragoza the Conversion of Saint Paul, on January 25; the modality is the same as the previous one, in relation to the rites and festivities that are carried out.
Likewise, in the El Bastón community it is celebrated at the Virgin of Our Lady of the Angels, on August 02; and in the community of Las Pampas, the festival to La Santa Cruz is held on May 3.
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