MY TOWN AND TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES

PILAR HONTECILLAS MARTÍNEZ 3ºAI.E.S. Duque de Alarcón- Valera de Abajo (Cuenca)

MY TOWN1.Localitation , inhabitants, altitude.

2.Tradicional festivities

2.1.Fiestas del Domingo Del Rosario2.1.1.Friday2.1.2.Saturday2.1.3.Sunday2.1.4.Monday2.1.5.Tuesday2.1.6.Wednesday

Valera de Abajo is a nice village of Cuenca, in Castilla-La Mancha. It has a population of 1581 inhabitants. The altitude of Valera is 871 meters.

My Town

Fiestas del Domingo del RosarioThe festivity begins on the first weekend of October.FridayThe“ quintos  and quintas”, wear special suits for the coronation of the ladies and the Queen of the festivity. 

The Queen receives the crown from the Queen of the last year. The new Queen makes a speech for the beginning of the festivity, as well as the mayor and the town crier.

Saturday:At 8 in the morning, there is a “encierre” ,which means that some bulls are carried to the village and confined until the bullfighting in the afternoon .

After of the “encierre”, people takes hot chocolate and later there are games for children in a playground with air-mattresses.

At 4 o´clock, people go to the bullring to keep a place to see the bulls.

After the bullfighting people go to the bumper cars and to the ”peñas”. A “peña” is a group of people who meet on a place for having fun.At night, people go to the “peñas” for having dinner, a drink and then go to the dance.

Sunday:At half past twelve in the morning, there is a ceremony in the chuch. It is made in honor of the Virgen del Rosario. After the Mass, people go to eat to their “peñas”. At 5, people go to the bullring to see the “rejoneadores”, who ride horses very beautiful and intelligent. During the night, at 4 am , there is another “encierre”, which has bulls and also heifers.

Monday:At 4 pm, begins the grand prix of Valera de Abajo. It is a game, in which some people take part and the rest of the people laugh a lot from those who are participating. In one of the games there is also a heifer. 

That night there are the same activities as the previous ones. 

Tuesday:At 5 pm, the bullfighting starts, where young people of the village go out to fight with the bulls. Childrens participates also with heifers instead of big bulls. At 8, all the bulls and heifers are killed.

That night is the last one. People go from “peña” to “peña”, drink dance and enjoy the goodbye party.

All “peñas” eat at City Hall, make stews, each people for their “peña”, and then are there singing and dancing.

The end

Wednesday: