Eat, Drink And “break Old People”. Mojacar Celebrates Dia De La Vieja Tradition

Mojacar residents precocious joined hundreds crossed Almeria successful celebrating Dia de la Vieja, a beloved contented successful nan Levante Almeriense region. Every year, successful nan mediate of lent group stitchery successful nan countryside aliases astatine nan formation to eat, portion and “break aged people”.

No aged group harmed connected Dia de la Vieja

Of course, nary aged group are really harmed successful nan festivities, alternatively it is piñata’s designed to look for illustration nan aged that go nan targets. These effigies are readily disposable to bargain crossed nan region, galore for illustration to make their own, adding a imaginative originality to each one.

Mojacar residents were particularly imaginative this year, their colourful creations perfectly encapsulating nan tone of nan event. The handmade “viejas” often alteration successful size, item and humour, pinch immoderate designed to bespeak accepted clothing aliases exaggerated caricatures. This imaginative constituent has go 1 of nan astir anticipated aspects of nan celebration, encouraging families and neighbours to return portion together successful mentation days earlier nan event.

Treats and accepted food

After making nan piñata, nan only point near to do is break it. Mojacar youngest residents lined up to threw rocks and sticks astatine nan “viejas” until they collapsed apart. The children made speedy activity of nan demolition and were soon rewarded pinch nan sweets that spilled from nan piñatas.

The time is besides often celebrated pinch a communal lunch. Hornazos, a saccharine braided furniture which has a hard-boiled ovum baked into nan centre, is simply a emblematic accepted dish, made particularly for nan celebration.

The root of tradition

Outside of Mojacar, Dia de la Vieja is astir celebrated successful municipalities specified arsenic Vera, Turre and Pulpi, to sanction a few, which big yearly events to people nan day. Each municipality adds its ain variations, but nan cardinal thought of gathering, sharing nutrient and symbolically “breaking” nan viejas remains accordant passim nan region.

The origins of this somewhat bizarre contented are unknown. Although immoderate judge nan enactment of breaking nan “viejas” to beryllium a awesome of leaving down what is surgery successful nan past successful bid to commencement anew.