The sardine is already in Murcia and now the countdown begins to see it burn and put the finishing touch to the Spring Festival. The symbol par excellence of the Burial arrived yesterday afternoon in the capital of Segura from Santomera, a municipality known as the Lemon Grove of Europe.
Between the orchard and the field, on colorful blankets of vinegar and impregnated with the unmistakable aroma of orange blossom, the sardine has completed a 26-day stay in the town, which was presented in the last edition of Fitur as the capital of joy. A motto that the Santomerans proved to deserve on March 9, when they received the popular silver fish and the streets of the town were filled with merrymaking and endless fun to celebrate it in style with a parade that delighted thousands of neighbors and visitors.
After its lemon adventure, the sardine returned to Murcia yesterday led by a delegation chaired by the mayor of Santomera, Víctor Martínez, who highlighted that “for the Santomerans it has been a great luck to be part of one of the most important festivals in the Region and the rest of Spain. With their arrival, our streets were flooded with excitement and we have been able to show everyone why we are the capital of joy and happiness.”
San Antolín: the origin
The disembarkation took place early in the afternoon in San Antolín, the place where the Burial of the Sardine originated, a festival declared of International Tourist Interest with more than 170 years of history. There, in the traditional Murcian neighborhood, the singer Diego Martín was in charge of warming up the engines with the concert he offered before the parade that took the emblematic fish to the Glorieta de España to be returned to the city of Murcia.
The dance groups were protagonists in a procession in which a Lanzarote Carnival group participated
With the procession of the arrival of the sardine, which left at eight in the afternoon from Plaza Belluga and toured the center until ending at the Town Hall, the sardineros once again brought out the hubbub that characterizes them with a lively staging in which the 23 groups that give life to the festival participated. There was no shortage of whistles or luminous objects to give to the public. Nor the typical hachoneros nor the catchy rhythms of the brass bands that filled each of the corners through which they carried out their merriment with a festive atmosphere.
In addition, the dance groups were protagonists in a parade full of light and color. The participation of an international group from the Canary island of Lanzarote stood out, as well as more than a dozen Carnival troupes from different parts of Murcia, such as Las que missing and Karraskalejas, from Cabezo de Torres; Las Queens, from Santo Ángel; Guava, from Beniaján; Goddesses of Olympus, by Puente Tocinos; and Nuevo Encanto, by Mula. Also delighting the audience was the group from the Esmeralda Torres academy, which came from Torre Pacheco, and the girls from Ágora Studio, a dance school from Santomera in charge of opening the sardinero show.
A waste of fantasy that ended in the Glorieta de España, where the sardine was delivered by the first mayor of Santomera to the mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta. For the occasion, the Murcian councilor recited “this balcony is dressed in flowers / to receive the sardine / that fills Murcia with love / in the upcoming party. / With a desire to party, she comes / to celebrate spring / and to see who stops her / on this sardine night. / De Santomera comes happy / they welcomed her with enthusiasm / they honored her with music and celebration / but don't be seduced / they will tell you to stay there / but Murcia is your home / and that's why we want you here. A beloved sardine ready to burn.
Reading of Doña Sardina's will
The day before the great parade of the Burial of the Sardine is full of activities. At noon, the little ones will be the protagonists with the children's wake, which will take place on Avenida de la Libertad. At 1 p.m., lovers of regional gastronomy will be able to taste meat pies in the Circular Square, where a free distribution of this local delicacy will take place. In the afternoon, at 8 p.m., the sardine testament parade will be held, which will start from Gutiérrez Mellado Avenue and travel through the city center until reaching the Glorieta de España. It will be on the balcony of the Murcia City Hall where Doña Sardina, represented this year by the journalist Encarna Talavera, will share with the people of Murcia one of the most anticipated events of the party with the reading of the aforementioned will. It will be the way in which she says goodbye to the capital of Segura, before being burned, tomorrow night, after the distribution of more than 2.5 million toys.
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