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| San Fermín is filled with moments, which are
specially emotive to the citizens of Pamplona. San Fermín is not a
festival of planned events. On the contrary, the greatness of the "fiesta" is the
permanent spontaneity at any street, at any place and time. Nevertheless, there
is a serie of events, some of them included in the official program, that deserve
attention.
EL CHUPINAZO (THR ROCKET)
Ernest Hemingway
said that on July 6th at mid-day, the whole world put a red scarf around the
neck. All an exaggeration, the same way all his life was. It is true that the
official opening of San Fermín has become an obligatory reference to the
citizens of Pamplona and at the same time it has an international resonance
because of the several television emisions. San Fermín takes off when the
"Chupinazo" -a fireworks rocket- is set off to announce the beginning of the
Fiesta. The "Chupinazo" takes place in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona at
12:00 mid-day on the 6th of July. More than two hours before noon it is almost
impossible to find a place in the square in front of the Town Hall, where
thousands of people gather. Many young people prefer to stay at Plaza del
Castillo, near the Town Hall square, because is more comfortable and
secure. LA DIANA DEL 7 DE JULIO (MUSIC AT DAWN)
"Las Dianas", that start every morning at 6:45, are played by "La
Pamplonesa", the official brass-band, and consist in going around the streets of
downtown "waking the city up" with a repeated repertory of music well known by
the people. The strange mixture between those who just woke up and those who have
not gotten any sleep offers a variety show. With any doubt, the "Diana" of July
7th is the most emotive one. People from different places gather together after a
whole year. EL CANTICO AL SANTO EN LA HORNACINA DE SANTO DOMINGO
(THE HOMILY TO THE SAINT IN SANTO DOMINGO STREET)
This moment is probably
the most emotive and tense of all the events, which is repeated every morning,
some minutes before the running of the bulls. At the starting line, at the bottom
of Santo Domingo Street, "los mozos" (the runners) sing a canticle to the image
of San Fermín that is placed in a niche on the wall decorated with candles
and the scarves of the "peñas". The song says: "A San Fermín
pedimos/ por ser nuestro patrón/ nos guíe en el encierro/
dándonos su bendición." ("We ask San Fermín, as our Patron
Saint, to guide us through the Bull Run and give us his blessing"). The "mozos"
sing this canticle three times every morning; five, three and one minute before
the rocket, that announces the beginning of the "Encierro", goes off. Many
"mozos" that run at other sections go to this point of Santo Domingo to sing the
first canticle. During the last 31 years, Javier Genaro H. Noain has been in
charge to conduct the prayer. EL MOMENTICO (THE
M0MENT)
The 7th of July, after the mass in the church of San Lorenzo, which gives an
end to the San Fermin¥s Procession, the city corporation accompanied by "La
Pamplonesa" (the official brass-band), the group of Giants, gaiteros and
dantzaris go with the Town Council to the Cathedral. The moment in which the Town
Council crosses the Cathedral entrance all the bells start to play, the dantzaris
start to dance, the gaiteros start to play the "gaita".... this moment is called
"El Momentico", a very important event that has become one of the most important
religious events at this festivals. EL DESFILE DE CABALLEROS EN PLAZA
(THE CAVALRYMEN PARADE)
Every day, from July 7th until July 14th, there is a
parade at 5:30 p.m. from the Town Hall all the way to the Bull Ring. It goes
across Mercaderes Street, Chapitela Street, Plaza del Castillo, Carlos III
Avenue, Duque de Ahumada Street and the Bull Ring. It is a very colourful parade
which awakes the admiration of everybody, specially the little ones. The parade
goes all the way with "La Pamplonesa" wich plays the song "El Asombro de
Damasco". It stops daily at the Taurino Club of Pamplona, at Plaza del Castillo,
where the members of the comitive are invited to an appetizer.
EL ESTRUENDO DE IRUÑA (THE DIN OF PAMPLONA)
It takes place
one day without being prepared ahead of time. It consists in a multitudinary
"tamborrada", many drums playing at the same time, at the Plaza de Santiago
(Santiago Square) at 11:59 p.m. Anyone that wants to appear with a drum or any
percussion instrument can participate. Javier Echarte has been the pioneer and,
at the moment, he is in charge of conducting this peculiar band. This band goes
across many streets of downtown all the way to the sorrounding areas where the
event comes to an end.
LA DESPEDIDA A LA COMPARSA (THE FAREWELL
OF THE COMPARSA)
The journey that the Comparsa of Giants, "cabezudos",
"kilikis" and "zaldikos" do around Pamplona is different everyday. The "Comparsa"
produces admiration to all the audience and in a way it is the star event to all
the little ones. July 14th is, with any doubt, the most exciting moment because
of the final farewell to the Giants. This moment takes place at the Bus Station
of Pamplona. The last dances and frights that the giants, kilikis and zaldikos
give to the children have become a very popular event for children.
LOS TENDIDOS DE LA PLAZA TRAS LA ULTIMA CORRIDA
When the sixth bull on the
14th of July is taken out of the Bull Ring people start to realice that the end
of the festivals are near. At this time, a chorus of 20.000 voices begin to sing
a multiple music repertory that lasts almost an hour. All this music is intoned
and danced again and again by tired voices and bodies after nine days of party.
It is probably the only moment in which everybody at the Bull Ring come together
to intone a single song. POBRE DE MI (THE END OF THE
FIESTA)
"Pobre de mi/Pobre de mi/ que se han acabado las fiestas de san
Fermín" (Poor me, tha party has come to an end). At midnight on the 14th
of July tha mayor or mayorness concludes the festivals and convokes everbody on
July 6th of next year for the beginnig of the Fiesta. With the "Pobre de Mi" the
fiesta comes to an end. At this moment people carries candles in their hands and
sing "Pobre de Mi". This official event takes place at the Town Hall square and
the Plaza del Castillo. |
