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ARCHIVED - 17th to 19th January 2020 Fiestas of San Sebastian in Cehegín
Cehegin, includes torchlit procession, bonfires and Romería through the old quarter
The dedication to San Sebastian is amongst the oldest of many traditions which exist in Cehegín, documentation showing their existence going back as far as the 15th century. These fiestas revolve around fire, based on the tradition of using fire as a protector from, and cleanser of, plague and illness. Saint Sebastian is associated with protection from illness and as a protector of military personnel, and was very popular as a patron saint in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Cehegin has restored the area known as Paraje del Santo, which surrounds the old ruined hermitage of San Sebastian, located at the foot of Cehegín, and is now a tourism viewpoint. The activities of this fiesta take part principally between this old hermitage and the Plaza del Castillo in Cehegin’s old quarter, right at the top of the old town.
San Sebastian himself.
San Sebastian was a Christian from Milan, killed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians mercilessly.
San Sebastian was a captain in the Praetorian Guard, but was a secret Christian. When the Emperor was quietly informed about his out of hours’ activities, he threw Sebastian into jail, where he promptly converted all of the prisoners and the guards to Christianity. Moved by their new found faith, the guards released all of the Christian prisoners and disappeared out of the city. The Emperor ordered Sebastian should be executed, had him tied to a stake and shot full of arrows, leaving him for dead. A fellow Christian, the widow Irene, who had always had a soft spot for the reportedly handsome Sebastian, went to retrieve his body and found he was still alive, so she took him home and nursed him back to health, where he immediately began converting people again and performing miracles.
One day, hearing Diocletian outside in the street, Sebastian stood on the step outside and harangued the Emperor, at which point, the Emperor commanded his guards to kill him, and to make sure they did a proper job of it the second time. He was promptly clubbed to death and his body thrown in a privy.
For this reason he is often known as the saint who was martyred twice
There is a statue of San Sebastian in the Iglesia Mayor of Santa María Magdalena in Cehegín, one of the few to survive the civil war in the town.
Programme of fiestas 2020
Friday 17th January
19.00. The church bells ring out and a bonfire is lit in honour of Saint Sebastian
Saturday 18th January
08:00. Leaving from the Plaza del Castillo. Volunteers head off out into the woods to collect wood for the bonfires and enjoy a meal together.
16:00. Childrens games in the Plaza del Castillo
17.00. The torchbearers gather at the Ermita de San Sebastian to parade up into Cehegin. ( Access via the Carreterra de Canara)
18:30. The torchbearers parade up from the Ermita de San Sebastian to the Plaza del Castillo, taking the following route
Itinerary: Ermita del Santo, Puente Santo, Almazara, Cuesta y Plaza del Poyo Colorao, Mesón Viejo, Cuesta de las Maravillas, Plaza Vieja, Calle Nueva, Picasso, Segisa, Cuesta Moreno, Mesoncico, Calle Mayor and Plaza del Castillo.
19:00. Lighting of the great fire of San Sebastian by the torchbearers.
21:00. Preparation of Migas Ruleras by the various peñas with music and Karaoke
Ingredients for the dishes will be provided by the fiestas commission to the peñas participating.
Sunday 19th January
09:30. Gathering of cuadrillas and Animeros in the Plaza del Castillo.
10:00. Pasacalles by the Cuadrilla de Animeros del Campillo de los Jiménez throughout the streets of the old quarter. The cuadrillas are a traditional music group, singing the old folk music of the region, using a variety of string and percussion instruments. It´s very comfortable music and is entertaining to go along with them and enjoy the music.
In this activity the Cuadrilla moves around the old town, stopping off at various points to play.
11:30. Romeria of San Sebastian from the Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena ( In the Plaza del Castillo at the top of Cehegín) to the Plaza del Mesoncico. Accompanied by the Cuadrilla and a big crowd, the image of the saint is transferred from the Iglesia to the Plaza.
12:00. Plaza del Mesoncico: MISA DE PASCUA , musical mass, sung by the Cuadrilla de Animeros del Campillo de los Jiménez.At the end of the mass, a traditional biscuit which is made specifically for this one day, called Flechas del santo is blessed and handed out to participants, along with oranges.
The Flechas de San Sebastian are a cake made from Pasta Flora, which is a very sweet pastry mix which you´ll usually find filled with angels hair, a sweet jammy substance made with a type of squash. This gives a slightly crunchy texture to these types of cakes and they are absolutely delicious. These little cakes, flechas meaning arrows, are made in an arrow shape by Dulces Motolite in Plaza Mesoncico which is the most important patisserie in Cehegin, and they only prepare these little pastries on this one day of the year.
13:00. Return of the Romeria to the Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena in the Plaza del Castillo.
13:30. In the Plaza del Castill the Caudrilla performs a number of songs and dances for all those who would like to burn off a little energy
14.30. Rices and local drinks are handed out to participants in the Plaza del Castillo.
17:00. In the casino of Cehegin, naming of the mayordomo of the fiestas for 2021, concluding with a performance by the .CUADRILLA DE ANIMEROS DEL CAMPILLO DE LOS JIMÉNEZ.