FESTIVITIES OF MONCADA
PATRON SAINT FESTIVITIES
The patron saint festivities of Moncada are the most signicant event in the municipality. They start on the last weekend of August, when the Queen of the Festivities is introduced and they end on the 10 of September, with the a celebration dedicated to Sant Jaume the Apostle, the patron saint of Moncada.
The festive events are organized and sponsored by different entities and associations from the municipality. The festive programme includes a wide range of events such as Nit de l’Embotit, a parade, calderes de fèsols i naps eating, the night of paellas, international music festivals and sports activities.
The religious events between the 4 and the 8 of September have to do with honouring several saints (one each day): San Luís, Virgen de Agosto, La Purísima, Virgen María de los Desamparados and Santa Bárbara.
Date: from the last weekend of August to the 10 of September.
RELIGIOUS AND TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES
Because of its religious tradition, Moncada has many festivities:
Festivity of San Antonio: the traditional blessing of the people's pets takes place at the main street just in front of the church of San Jaime.
Festivity of San José: every 19 of March there are events preserving the mood and energy from the fallas week before.
Festivity of San Vicente Ferrer: following the religious calendar, the events usually take place in late April. This celebration has a 40-year tradition, with the children who first received communion the previous year having a significant role.
Festivity of Virgen de los Desamparados: this virgin is one of the most historical and traditional in the municipality. It is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of May, when the so-called Misa de la Descubierta takes place. After the mass, free hot chocolate is given out to everyone in the town.
Festivity of Corpus Christi: it is celebrated in the first Sunday of June and the procession is the most signicant event.
Festivity of San Miguel: although it is orignally a religious celebration, it has an significant value for the town. It is celebrated during the last week of September in the neighbourhood Les Eres. The neighbours are the ones in charge of the events' organization dedicated to this saint.
Festivity of Santa Cecilia: as in many other municipalities in the province of Valencia, Moncada holds a festivity to honour the patron saint of the music, there being several music bands performing on the 22 of November along with other cultural and religious events.
Festivity of Santa Bárbara: it takes place on the 4 of December to honour Santa Bárbara, the patron saint of Moncada, being a local holiday. The main event is the procession of Santa Bárbara to the hermitage, where a relic of the saint (a foot bone of the saint's) is kissed by the believers.
One of the most characteristic things this day is fira del porrat, in which the people from the town and visitors buy and eat traditional sweets typical of Christmas such as turrón (nougat candy).
MONCADA'S NEIGHBOURHOODS FESTIVITIES
Throughout the year there are also other festivals and celebrations in the different neighbourhoods of Moncada. These festivals are sorted by the time of celebration:
May: the festivity dedicated to San Isidro Labrador in the neighbourhood of San Isidro de Benagéber, where there are fun activities, a mass and a procession.
July-August: between July and August in the neighbourhood of Masias the people hold their own festivals.
August: the people from the neighbourhood Badía celebrate every last weekend of August the festivity of Santa Bárbara, the patron saint with a hermitage. Among the festives events there are the mass and procession to honour the saint.
September: in early September the people from the neighbourhood Los Dolores honoured their neighbourhood's patron saint, Virgen de los Dolores, there being a mass and a procession.
During the last week of the month there are the festivity of San Miguel in the neighbourhood Los Eres to honour their patron saint.
October: in the neighbourhood El Pilar the people honour their patron saint on the 12 of October, including a mass, a procession and fun activities.
OTHER FESTIVITIES
Three Wise Men Parade: according to the tradition, every 5 of January the different associations, fallas and cultural entities take part in the Three Wise Men Parade. The itineary of the parade starts on Carrer Xàtiva going through Luis Vives and the main street, concluding at the town hall, where the Three Wise Men wave from the balcony at the children waiting for their presents.
Carnival: depending on every year's calendar it takes place between Frebruary and March, taking into account that they take place 40 days before Palm Sunday. To celebrate the carnival there is a big parade starting at the town's Centro Escolar and ending at Plaza San Jaime, where there are many children's activities.
Fallas festivity: Moncada has 10 comissions of fallas and a local fallas board organizing all the events. Before the festivity the commissions elect their falleras (women dressing the traditional outfits) in October. In March there is a big parade with the award of several prizes, and an offering and mass for San José.
Easter Week (Moncada's Mystery of the Passion): Misterio de la Pasión de Moncada is a religious event started to be reenacted on Maundy Thursday since 1960. Currently, it is reenacted both on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. On Maundy Thursday there are biblical reenactments from the life of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, there are the reenactments of the Lord's Supper, the Judgement, the introduction to Pilatos and the crucifixion at Hermitage of Santa Barbara.
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