The town recovers after two years a celebration with more than two and a half centuries of history
The small town of Aledo celebrated its biggest day yesterday morning and did so with the representation of the Auto de Reyes, a tradition with more than 250 years of history, only interrupted by the pandemic.
It has always been the day par excellence for the town of Aledo, especially a few years ago, when the residents who lived in France working spent Christmas here. “Back then, all the bars and streets were full of noise,” said Francisco García, a notable resident of the town, while he enjoyed a coffee and a glass of mantellina in the cold morning. It was half past ten when their Majesties of the East, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, entered the town. They did it through the Plaza de la Diputación, where they announced that they were bringing gold, myrrh and incense for the newborn. There they were received by a Roman centurion on horseback, who asked them the reason for their arrival, then beginning the narration of the medieval texts, sometimes embellished with humorous details.
Their Majesties were looking for the new monarch of the Jews. The centurion led them to the offended King Herod’s palace, that is, the Aledo City Hall building. The procession, following the Christmas Star –represented by a local girl on horseback (on this occasion, Carlota Martínez García, only 9 years old)–, arrived at the foot of the Torre del Homenaje of the local wall, where the rest of the Auto de Reyes was developed.
Among the humorous details, the centurion unleashed laughter from the public when he received the Kings in front of the royal palace and told them “you are strong and good-looking, I thought they were contestants from the Island of Temptations.” Once the Auto Sacramental was finished, King Herod shed his beard and wig and the character of José Moreno ‘El Plumber’ appeared. He did it to launch the satirical ‘bombs’ that Javier Andreo, trovero of the Cuadrilla de Aledo and mayor of the town, writes every year.
From Putin to the World Cup in Qatar
«Two years of obstacles, without our Car of Kings; There were only kings at mass ». This is how the ‘bombs’ started, remembering the pandemic. The warlike conflicts could not be missing either: «The year was distinguished by a useless war. His head has gone because a son of Putin Ukraine has invaded ». The British royal family was also the protagonist: «Carlos has to reign; Close to turning 80, he is now starting to work ».
In reviewing national politics, Herod highlighted that, “without anyone being bothered, I’ll still proclaim the ‘alean’ republic tomorrow”, thinking that it would attract Carles Puigdemont. The Spanish Soccer Team also received its share: “We soon returned from Qatar, our ears aggrieved, because the only thing we did was beat Costa Rica.”
Municipal aid of 1,000 euros for families that brought babies into the world were also the target of Herod’s satirical darts: “A thousand euros, to be frank, the carlancos need more than newborns.” The ‘bombs’ ended like this: «The year has just begun; to whoever comes to fuck everything up, like Messi, tell him: what are you looking at, silly; go ‘over there’, go ‘over there’, fool».
After the mass, at half past five in the afternoon, next to the monument of Juan Tudela Piernas, ‘Uncle Juan Rita’, the Pujas Dance began, which extended the end of the festive day beyond ten in the night.
#Auto #Reyes #Aledo #returns #pandemic #bombs #Putin