This Thursday, April 30th, the traditional Rose Festivities 2026 start at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. The Councillorship of Festivities and the festeros and festeras have prepared an intense programme of events, which will run until May 10th.
They will start with masses and triduums to the Virgen de la Rosa (Thursday and Friday), a storyteller and a barbecue with singers, tardeo and Bitsound mobile disco organised by the festeros on Friday May 1st. But the big party will begin on Saturday 2nd. In the morning there will be a family laughter workshop at the Library and, in the afternoon, the Offering.
At 6:30 p.m. the collection of the festeras will take place, to later go to the Oratory and begin the colorful floral offering to the Virgin of the Rose. Children and adults will head towards the Church to offer it with their bouquets and floral arrangements accompanied by the Music Band and Colla La Llebetjà. During the offering, the Grup de Danses Morro Falquí will also show its traditional dances. In the evening, the Gravity orchestra will perform on Valencia avenue.
With the intention of achieving an orderly and organised offering, the Councillorship of Festivities has asked for the collaboration of neighbours and associations, establishing the following order of departure: Grup de Danses Morro Falquí, Colla La Llebetjà, boys and girls of communion, boys and girls organised in pairs or trios, girls and boys in baby carriages, neighbours who want to offer, associations and peñas, festeras and festeros and, to close with their music, Santa María Magdalena Municipal Music Band.
The day of La Rosa and its tradition of «pans beneïts», one of the most unique in the municipality, is well awaited. The preparations are being finalised with the transfer to the Oratory of the 120 loaves that will be decorated with roses and taken in baskets to the Church on Sunday, May 3rd, where they will be blessed. Afterwards, accompanied by the Music Band and Colla La Llebetjà, a procession made up of festeros, boys and girls from the town will go through the streets with baskets of blessed bread to distribute pieces of bread to the neighbours, who wait in the doorways with an empty plate.
That same day in the afternoon, at 8:00 p.m., there will be a solemn procession in honor of the Virgin of the Rose, San Pancracio Mártir and San Luis. At the end, a display of fireworks will be set off at the Portalet, and at night there will be music in the festive house.
On Monday 4th there will be religious events and children’s activities in the morning. After the mass in honour of San Pancracio Mártir, the mayor of San Pancracio will be appointed at the balcony of the Town Hall, from where he will dictate the rules of the costume that all residents must comply with next Saturday 9th on the festive day of costumes. At 2:00 p.m. there will be a giant paella for all attendees and at 4:00 p.m. Toni Catalá will perform at La Pau street.
From May 5th to 10th there will be cattle released every afternoon (except Saturday) at the parking lot of Valencia avenue, and dinner at popular prices by Peña Taurina and a mobile disco at the bullfighting venue on Friday 8th.
The festivities will continue on Saturday , May 9th with one of the funniest days of the whole year: San Pancracio and its popular costumes. The day will start with despertà, informal parade and cucañas for the youngest ones. At lunchtime, the paella contest will be held, with prizes of 100, 75 and 50 euros. The costume parade will leave at 5:00 p.m. from the casal. There will be prizes of 100, 75 and 50 euros for the best creations. From 6:00 p.m. there will be the SOS mobile disco on Valencia avenue, and at 7:30 p.m., the festeros and festeras will distribute sandwiches at the casal for all those people who comply with the rules dictated by the mayor or mayoress of San Pancracio.
