Festivity of the Carochos

The rituals that take place in the so-called Twelve-Day Cycle, from Christmas to Kings, contain a rich symbolism that often goes unnoticed by the public among the quirky outfits of the characters and their irreverent behavior. These festive winter celebrations related to the culture, history and religions of antiquity also speak of their humorous tone of the agrarian cycle that is slowly beginning to awaken, of the kingdom of light and the power of the sun. The mysterious beings that animate the small towns on those dates enhance the passage of young people into adulthood, underline the fertility of the fields from the clouds of cernada (ash) that the filandorros generously pour to children, young and old . Identifying signs of the masquerades are also the songs in a critical tone that intone molacillos and blind, a kind of social therapy that purifies the rural community. The winter solstice and its festive events, full of fantasy and primitivism, have their origin in pagan culture although from the Middle Ages they were impregnated with a certain Christian influence, an evident contradiction that reflects the ascendant of authority in the feeling of the communities local through the passage of time.

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Fiestas de los Carochos RIOFRIO DE ALISTE High resolution image. This link will open using lightbox, there may be a context switch