The "Festes de Gràcia" announce the end of the summer

The summer fiestas in Menorca, starring horses and "caixers", begin with Sant Joan en Ciutadella, on June 24, and finish in September, with the "Festes de Gràcia" in Maó. In format, all the summer fiestas are similar because they follow the same structure —with cavalcades and "jaleos", "completes" and "misses de caixers"— but in fact each of them has peculiar elements that make them unique and different from the rest.

These days the "Festes de Gràcia" are taking place in Maó, festivity that announces the summer is finishing, in contrast with the "Festes de Sant Joan" in Ciutadella, that coincide with the arrival of the hot weather and with the shortest night of the year.

The "Festes de Gràcia" started last Friday, August 24, and will continue until September 16, with a complete programme of activities organised by the City Council with the collaboration of many local associations and groups. There will be street parties and suppers almost every day in different points of the city, many children and sports activities, folk music and dance, theatre, cinema, exhibitions...

The most important events will take place next weekend, starting on Thursday, September 6, at 20:00 p.m. with the street parade of giants, the concert of the Banda Nura and the reading of the Proclamation of the fiestas, by Joana Pons amb Ses Guitarres. On Friday 7, at 4 p.m. there will be the traditional "Esclat de la Mascletà" followed by a street parade of giants. Then, the Protocol of the traditional "Colcada" will be initiated by the "fabioler", who will pick up the "caixer fadrí". Then they will collect the flag to start de the concentration of the "Colcada" and the cavalcade towards Gràcia. At 19:00 h, there will the religious "completes" in the Gràcia hermit and the drink of the "Convit de sa capellana". At 0:30 h, traditional "Jaleo" in the sqare Constitució and, finally, music and dancing as from midnight.

On Saturday 8, the day of the Mare de Déu de Gràcia, the festive events will start again at 8 a.m. with the "Diana general" and then the protocol of the day before will be repeated, with some variations. This day there will not be "completes" in the Gràcia Hermit, but "missa de caixers" in the Santa Maria church. At 12 p.m., the "Jaleo" will start and in the afternoon, as from 7 p.m. there will be horse races in the Cós de Gràcia.

The fiestas will continue during the whole weekend with many cultural and popular activities, such as a Barroque Market, that will be opened form September 8 to 9; the concert by the group s'Albaida, that will take place on Sunday 9, at 9.30 p.m.; and the big aquatic firework display, the same day, at 11 p.m.

Photo © BalearWeb

Date of publication: 30/08/2001

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