The first weekend of Santa Tecla comes to a close with a large turnout
The first weekend of Santa Tecla has concluded with great participation in all the scheduled events, especially during the Nit de Foc (Night of Fire) and the parades and exhibitions of the "gegantons" (giant figures), "cabeçuts" (big-headed figures), bestiary, and children's white dances. In particular, the exhibition "Del garatge al carrer", open since Friday at the Mercat Vell, provided a showcase of these homemade creations or those aimed at children.
That same Friday, the Nit del Pubillatge (Night of Pubillatge) proclaimed Noa Vidal, from the Penya Barcelonista, as Pubilla of Sitges, and Xavier Molina, from the Agrupació de Balls Populars, as Hereu of Sitges. Both take over from Vinyet Granda and Oleguer Arola.
La Nit de Foc filled the streets with pyrotechnics on Saturday, featuring the three local troupes of the Ball de Diables, the Águila, and the Espetegafoc troupe, along with five guest troupes. Sunday morning saw the turn of the "gegantons," "cabeçuts," and children's dances, in a parade that connected the Plaça de l'Ajuntament with La Fragata, where the white dances were exhibited. Sunday afternoon was once again dedicated to fire, with a parade from the Domènech Bridge to La Fragata featuring the three children’s devils troupes and the children’s bestiary. All three devils troupes—the Colla Jove, the Agrupació, and the Colla Vella—performed the spoken dance on stage, culminating with a joint firework display to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the children's devils dance of the Colla Jove and the Agrupació, and the 24th anniversary of the same children's dance by the Colla Vella. The Town Hall's Flickr channel offers various photo albums, freely available for download, showcasing images from each event.
Throughout this week, several events will take place, but on Friday at 8:30 p.m., the Transfer of the image of Santa Tecla will occur, in which the parish priest will hand over the image of the saint to the Commission, who will carry it to Calle Jesús, 6, where the flag-bearer, Rosa Hernández Matas, will receive it, and it will remain on display there.
On the eve of Santa Tecla, September 22, the lighting of 21 "morterets" and the ringing of bells at 2:00 p.m. will announce to everyone that Sitges is celebrating its Festa Major. This year, the troupe of the Montornès giants will be in charge of setting off the "morterets" , as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of these giant figures.
The civic procession will depart at 7:00 p.m. from Calle Jesús, 6, to collect the image of Santa Tecla and return it to the parish. In the evening, there will be fireworks, a "sardana" party, and concerts on the Ribera Promenade.
Monday, September 23, is the day of Santa Tecla, and it will begin with the children's Matinal (morning parade), which will take place along three routes converging at La Fragata. The Matinal de Foc (Morning of Fire) will start at 6:30 a.m. with the three children’s devils troupes and other beasts, departing from the Davallada. The large Matinal parade will start at 7:00 a.m. along Calle Bernat de Fonollar, featuring dances performed by the older participants, while the small Matinal will begin at 8:00 a.m. from the Plaça de l'Ajuntament with younger children.
Santa Tecla's mass will be held at 11:00 a.m., with an offering from the Montornès giants troupe, followed by the Salida de Oficio and a castellers (human tower) performance. One of the day's highlights is the descent of the pillar by the Colla Jove de Castellers de Sitges down the steps of La Punta at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Santa Tecla procession, the Entry of the saint, the final dance, and concerts at 7:00 p.m.
The Festa Major includes several events where pyrotechnics are used. For this reason, residents and businesses are advised to take precautions to prevent damage from fire. Additionally, just like in Sant Bartomeu, the civic procession will include a calm section, marked and designated for individuals with high sound sensitivity. For Santa Tecla, this section will be located on Calle Sant Isidre, where the troupes will reduce both noise and fire. Furthermore, the event program, available at www.sitgesfestamajor.cat, specifies which events include pyrotechnics so that individuals with high sound sensitivity or those with pets can take appropriate measures. The website www.sitges.cat/serveis/pirotecnia provides details of the Santa Tecla events involving pyrotechnics, as well as other Sitges festivals that use fire.
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- September 2021
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