Cascamorras Festival
Spain is best known for celebrating some famous, weird, crazy festivals every year. From La Tomatina to San Fermin all the festivals are celebrated crazily and it is not for the faint of heart. Simply kidding, you will wonder how people gather together to celebrate these festivals. If you are a person who loves to get greasy, then you must attend an unusual festival called Cascamorras.
The Cascamorras festival is also called as Fiesta de Cascamorras’ in Spain is celebrated from September 6 to September 9. This Cascamorras festival takes place in two towns namely, Baza and Guadix in the province of Granada, Spain. This festival is all about, two towns fighting for possession of a Statue of the Virgen de la Piedad( Our Lady of Mercy).
History
There are two Andalusian towns, namely Guadix and Baza present in the Province of Granada, Spain. It seems that Cascamorras, a worker form Guadix town discovered a buried sacred image of the Virgen de la Piedad (Our Lady of Mercy) while he was working on the land of Baza. He attempted to take the image to his town, but his attempt failed because the Bazan's snatched the image and considered this as a scared theft. When Cascamorras returned to his town Guadix empty-handed, his fellow countrymen were deeply disappointed and they blamed the people of Baza for their frustration.
Since this event created a dispute between the two towns, it was decided that if the nominated person from the town of Guadix can enter the church with a clean dress without getting strained by the villagers of Baza, he is allowed to take the holy image to his town. This is the context of the festival.
Since then to recall this event, both towns celebrate the Fiesta de Cascamorras’ for three days in the late summer every year in Spain.
It is estimated that about 20,000 people take part in this festival every year. The people of Baza cover themselves with black olive oil and run through the streets whereas the people of Guadix cover each other in the colored paste. This festival has attracted a great tourism interest and thus the villagers are inviting people to join them. In 2006, Spain declared this festival has a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest in Spain.
What do they do at this festival?
Guadix town on 9th September.
So every year, on September 6, a person is nominated as Cascamorras from Guadix and he is made to run on the streets of Baza with clean clothes to reach the church but literally, he would get strained by the people of Baza who cover themselves with black olive oil.
On September 9, the second run happens where the Cascamorras return to their village empty-handed. Here thousands of villagers from Guadix participate in the event.
of water from their balconies on the people to support them and while the participants pass through the town hall square, they are sprayed with foam. Finally, the second run is wrapped up at 9 pm.
This is how this festival is celebrated.
The dressing code for the participants includes a white T-shirt and black shorts. You can get the best view of this festival in the Altiplano region which is located in the north of the Granada Province, Baza, and it is also the capital. The Guadix town, which is the second location is only a short drive away.
So if you are feeling mischievous enough then participate in this funny and crazy event which takes place in Spain every year in the 1st week of September.
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