These are the main annual fiestas in Cómpeta

Semana Santa

Cómpeta

............................... throughout the week, flower laden floats adorning the holy statues are carried through the streets, and in Cómpeta, the highlight of the week is the Passion play. The main story is enacted in the main plaza by the villagers. Our local priest takes the lead role and when the cross is carried by him to the top of the hill behind the village for the final moment, the audience become part of the cast and this is an experience not to be missed...........................

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is celebrated all over Spain, in the cites, towns & villages, but, with, I think the most personal events occurring in the villages, with Cómpeta being one of the most outstanding, particularly the Passion play.

This of course is held on Good Friday with the priest playing Jesus and the villagers as the rest of the cast. The play is held in the main Square outside the church, after which the cross is carried by the priest, to the top of the village. During this time the spectators become part of the cast by following the cross. At the top of the village There are already two crosses erected with 2 men tied to them, the priest is then tied to his cross and then hoisted in the middle for the final moment. The priest is then lowered from the cross wrapped in a blanket and carried into the village. The whole of the passion play is extreemley realistic and is a very moving experience

Semana Santa starts on Palm Sunday, with a procession through the village of a flower laden float of Christ on a donkey, the float is carried by teenagers and is extreemly heavy, as indeed are all the floats. During the week there are various processions culminating on the evening of Good Friday, where several floats are carried through the village, led by the priest, band and followed by the villages with lighted candles. The procession ends at about midnight, outside the Church, in the main square, where the Floats are paraded.

When the final float is returned to the Church, the doors are opened up for everyone to view all the floats.

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Feria

Cómpeta

Hoy es ¡Fiesta!

If you have never been to a Spanish feria & you have the chance, it is a must do. It is the time when you will see the Spanish at their most natural, when they really let their hair down. Ferias in teh Axarquia are mainly held during the month of July, They usually last between 2 & 4 days. In Cómpeta it lasts for 4 days.

All the family turn out to party the night away, young & old alike, It seems the whole village attends. During the feria, it is not unusual to be awoken, just before 8am by explosive rockets. If that doesn´t wake you then the band comes through the village just to make sure!.

The ferias are always closed by a grand firework display**

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Feria is regarded as one of the most important events in the Village Calendar, second only to Semana Santa (Holy Week)

It is said that Feria reflects the heartbeat of the village. If that is the case then Cómpeta is alive and well.

.....CÓMPETA, comprises two villages, "Ël Barrio" the oldest part, still boasts an old mosque renamed Hermita de San Sebastian after the Christian conquest in 1487. With its own Feria*, the Barrio retains a working Olive Oil Plant, processing the fruit of the many olive groves that are a major part of the scenery and local economy. Its other main crop is the Muscatel grape.................

There are two ferias in Cómpeta, as there are really two villages . The old part known as the "El Barrio" and the new, bearing in mind the Church is in the "new part" and dates back to the 15th century!.

The barrio feria is held every year on 20th January and is just for the day, the main Feria is held in July and lasts for four days and nights. With both Ferias we are awoken each morning with exploding rockets, which go on all day with no apparent pattern, they are accompanied by a chorus of dogs, cats, horses and donkeys. For those of you not used to Spain and or living in a Spanish village, it can be quite disconcerting and noisy, but that is Spain and we love it.

At the end of each Feria there is a magnificent firework display.**

There are many cultural events , together with a fair. There is everything you would expect from a fair, sideshows, roundabouts, bumper cars, burgers, churos, candy floss. Possibly the one difference is that there are a lot of things for the youngest ones. The whole family go and stay to the early hours. The music goes on from about 10am to possibly 6am the following morning, interspersed by rockets and so that you do not miss the start o the day, there are rockets let off for your early morning call & the band which goes to every corner of the village just in case you missed the rockets!. As previously mentioned, there are other events occurring in various parts of the village during this time, concerts, discos etc. For a full itinerary contact the ayuntamiento www.competa.es. The Feria is also a time for the young & old "caballeros" to show off their horsemanship (it seems that Andalucian children can ride a horse almost before they can walk).

On the last evening, there is a procession around the village, comprising of the local tradesman, with their dumper trucks & lorries (¨"dressed" for the occasion), full of the workers, playing music & singing , the procession is usually led by oxen & cart with San Sebastian atop and it seems, everyone who owns a horse. Ahead announcing the the procession are the inevitable exploding rockets. The procession ends at the cemetery, where the fireworks are set off. After the fireworks everyone goes to the last night of the Feria, it seems that all the families of the village go to the last night and party all night. Do Not expect anything to be open the following day.

As I have already said, If you have never been to a Spanish Feria and get the chance then it is well worth the experience.

* Feria, literally means free day in latin, and goes back to the time of slaves.

** In Cómpeta we like to be different and start our Feria with the fireworks

Disfrutar!

(Enjoy)

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Noche del Vino

Cómpeta

................Cómpeta is also famous for it´s wine, which is made from muscatel grapes. During July and the beginning of August the hills are green with this beautiful fruit. One of the local festivals I alluded to is "La noche del vino" (" the night of the wine") , which is held every August 15th. This involves a lot of Dancing, singing and the consumption of copious amounts of free sweet Cómpeta wine and migas. (fried breadcrumbs, served with grapes & salt cod (bacalao). When queuing for this, it is amazing how many friends you make!...............

Noche del vino (night of the wine) is celebrated annually on the15th August. It is a tradition that started a very long time ago and originated out of the need for the winegrowers to leave their homes for several weeks while harvesting their grapes. All the families used to get together for a celebration feast prior to their journey.

These days, due to the onset of transportation, it is no longer necessary for the growers to leave their homes for any length of time, although some stay in their fincas during the week. As a result, during this time, in the campo, more lights can be seen at night.

The ayuntamiento (town hall) have now adopted this day, (to keep up the tradition and also to encourage tourism) They finance the cost of the fiesta. and free wine, migas and grapes are available for all).

Celebrations start in the morning (at about 11am), but in keeping with Spanish tradition, the time is fluid, with a procession of local winegrowers carrying baskets of grapes, announced by our local band, there is then a demonstration of grape treading.

To continue the festivities there is a display of local dancing by the youngsters of the village, ranging in ages from as young as 5yrs up to their late teens. This is then followed by a disco fronted by our local priest (who doubles as a DJ) our priest is brilliant and liked by all ages.

The fiesta appears to be growing in stature with more and more visitors, and last year 2006, there was a local artisan market, which no doubt will increase in size as time passes.

The main square is reserved for the evening celebrations, which start at about 11pm and go on to the early hours. During the previous week a brick wall is built (effectively closing off the square to traffic) to support the stage, and seats are laid out in the square itself.

At the start of the evening there is a prize giving and speeches, followed by traditional dancing, singing, guitarists and flamenco. It is a wonderful day and for those who have the stamina, a memorable night. Oh and by the way, there is more free wine available !.


Pisada de uvas (Grape treading)	¡Mucho gente! (many people) enjoying the day	Baile (dancing)

La Plaza Mayor (main square) ready for the evenings entertainment		The stage is set

. Tips

Each year a poster advertising the day is designed by local artists and are available free from the town hall. You may also on the day (if you are quick), get one from a stall set up outside the Church, selling T shirts, baseball caps, bandanas etc to raise funds.

There is now a lead up to the main day called " Preludio a la Noche" (prelude to the night) which starts on 1st August. During this time there are events put on by local people. Information/itinery is available from the oficina de turismo (tourist office) & the ayuntamiento (town hall)

To get a seat for the evenings entertainment, it is necessary to reserve one, once again go to the town hall. These seats are quite sought after and it maybe worthwhile contacting them via their website in advance www.competa.es

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¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

(Happy Christmas).

¡FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!

(Happy New Year)

............... "Los Reyes Magos", "Three Kings Night" the most important night of the year for the children, because on the 6th they get their presents!. On the evening of the 5th the Three Kings go through the village dispensing sweets to the children, replete with carrier bags!, you can really touch the excitement...............

If you are lucky enough to be in Spain during this period, "Feliz Navidad" is a phrase you will hear a great deal in the few days up to, including Christmas eve & during the holiday period. it will no doubt be said to you, more than once!, in return just say "igualmente" (which basically means the same to you), If you are feeling brave say "Feliz Navidad" first !.

Christmas in Spain is still a magic time, reflected in the faces of the children, (and the adults!) and long may it remain so.

The build up Christmas doesn´t seem to start in the shops until the last week in November and even then everything seems to start gradually, everything seems more gentle and more fun here. All the villages and towns have their street decorations and Cómpeta is no exception, but the lights in Málaga are something to behold, it is a must do visit.

The Christmas flower of Spain is the Poinsettia. Wherever you go during this time, they adorn the windows of houses, roundabouts, shops etc, in fact everywhere, It looks lovely. The temperate climate here allows them to be grown outdoors.

Cómpeta

Poinsettias in Cómpeta

The important days of Christmas for the Spanish are the 24th December "La Noche Buena" (the good night) which celebrates the birth of Christ ( El Señor) and the 5/6th January "Los Reyes Magos" (three kings night) which celebrates the night and day when the three wise men took their gifts to Jesus.

December 24th (La Noche Buena) It is when the Spanish have their celebration meal, and all the family get together, prior to going to mass. Nearly everything closes from about lunchtime, shops, restauraunts etc, but will open again on Christmas day, (not a holiday in Spain) the time of opening depends on what time everyone went to bed the night before, so in some cases not at all!

December 31st/Jan 1st New years eve is celebrated in Spain as in the rest of the world, Most towns have their firework displays and celebrate at midnight with Cava and the consumption of 12 grapes, which are supposed to be eaten during the 12 chimes at midnight ! Nerja has a fantastic firework display which is held on the Balcon de Europa

Fiesta de los Reyes

(Fiesta of the three Kings)

January 5th/6th (Los Reyes Magos) (the three wise men). Traditionally the 6th of January is when the Spanish children receive their presents. The night before on the 5th, the Three Kings parade through the towns on floats, to the delight of the families out shopping. In some cases, the shops, (particularly the toy shops) stay open to the early hours.

In Cómpeta the Three Kings ride through the streets, dispensing sweets to the children, all appear replete with carrier bags picking up as many as they can. The procession is announced by the local Police car in the front, sounding his siren (virtually the only time it is heard here), the Police car is full of sweets, with the priest as a passenger supervising events and keeping the floats topped up with the aforementioned treats. The children seem to follow the floats from start to finish, laughing and screaming with excitement all the way (how they manage to carry all the sweets home can only be guessed at!). It is on this night that you realise how alive Cómpeta still is, reflected in how many children there are. It truly is a magic night.

As mentioned above the 6th is the day the children receive their presents and are allowed to do what they want without being admonished (allegedly). Every household buys a King cake, which is basically a large round bun, contained within the cake are three small objects, one of which is a King, the person who gets this is King for a day and is entitled to wear the crown (which comes with the cake) You will see many people carrying a 4in thick pizza size box the day before and that is what is inside.

In recent times, due to the influx of northern Europeans I suppose, Christmas day is now becoming a day of celebration as well. Although it is still mainly us foreigners who treat Christmas Day as the main day, more & more Christmas trees seem to be appearing in the shops & streets. Although the main decoration in Spanish homes is still the "Belen" (the nativity scene), accompanied by an ever growing village scene, depicting Bethlehem & the countryside. More and more lights are appearing in the windows and "Father Christmas" (Papa Noel) is now seen hanging from some roof tops, and there are no doubt more and more decorated Christmas trees in the lounge!. I don´t think anyone knows when this started, but the Spanish, ever willing to embrace yet another Fiesta, seem to have taken it to their hearts. The children also now know that the English children receive their presents on the 25th, so I think a lot of the Spanish parents now have to give presents on the 25th December and the 6th January! .

Santa & his helper Cómpeta

Málaga


		Papa Noel

feria