Valencia Trader

San Antonio Festivities

On January 17th San Antonio Abad will honour its Patron Saint with festivities, as will many towns across the region of Valencia during the month, with bonfires as the main event.

In the 6th century, San Antonio was born into a wealthy family in Egypt. He sold off his property and retired to live a monastic life in a desert monastery. The festivity in honour of San Antonio Abad, patron saint of the animals, is one of the most widely repeated celebrations in the Valencian Community.

In the Castellón regions of Els Ports and El Maestrat, these festivities are truly unique. For example, in Forcall and Vilafranca del Cid, in addition to the traditional bonfires and animal blessings, santantonaes take place. These are dramatic representations depicting the unending persecution of the Saint by demons. In Forcall, where a bonfire in the shape of a cottage is built in the middle of the main square, the performance is carried out by a delegation made up of odd characters, including demons, the botargas, dressed in white overalls and hoods, with red, green and black figures on them; the despullat [the nude persona]; the head demon, wearing trousers and a bolero, his face covered with flour, bells on his belt and a cap made of three balloons; Saint San Antonio and Saint Paul the Hermit, bound by their wrists to each other; the filoseta, and the cremallers, or fire setters, who carry torches, the flames of which must never be extinguished

When the bonfires are lit in Vilanova d’Alcolea and Lucena del Cid, riders on horseback leap over the flames. In Benicàssim, the Dance of the Cemaller is performed, with couples dressed in traditional attire; and in Onda, where the bonfire is burnt in the Raval square, sweets and chocolate are served and animals are paraded in a magnificent display of horsemanship.

Many other municipalities in the Valencian Community also have San Antonio festivities, which along with Christmas have become the principal winter celebrations.