- Toni Pascual and Jose Devesa become unprecedented mayors: they are fathers of festeras and order a costume parade without rules
San Pancracio is one of the most fun and deeply rooted celebrations in the municipality since it was introduced by ‘La cuadrilla del Sarmiento’. As tradition dictates, the municipality has already appointed its mayors for a day: Toni Pascual will be the mayor and Jose Devesa his deputy mayor.
From the balcony of the Town Hall they have announced this Monday their first mayoral decree for next Saturday May 11th on the festive day of costumes: that there are no rules, only “that people go out on the streets, dress up and have a great time”, because that is the essence of this long awaited day.
They are unprecedented mayors in the history of this festivity, as never before have the festeros and festeras appointed two of their fathers as town mayors. And never before has the festivity been so free and without costume rules.
The weekend has been full of festive and religious events at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. Dozens of villagers took part in the colourful floral offering to the Virgin of the Rose. Children and adults made their way to the Church to offer their floral bouquets to the Virgin accompanied by the Band and the Colla La Llebetjà. Afterwards, the Grup de Danses Morro Falquí, offered a sample of traditional dances with dolçaina and tabalet music at the Church square. In the evening, there was a ball with the Titanic orchestra at La Pau street.
The celebration of the religious events in honour of the Virgin of the Rose continued yesterday, Sunday, with the blessing and subsequent distribution throughout the town of 120 ‘pans benets’, one of the most deeply-rooted and unique traditions of the municipality, in which festive men and women, boys and girls of the municipality participate by walking through the streets with baskets of blessed bread. Accompanied by the Music Band and the Colla La Llebetjà, the procession distributed the pieces of bread to the neighbours who were waiting for them at the doorways with an empty plate.
The festivities continue today, Monday, on La Pau street with rooster races that always leave funny pictures, giant paella, the ball with Toni Catalá and the afternoon of board games at the Social Centre.
