Those who wish to participate as riders must register by January 18th

Adeje council is getting ready to celebrate one of its most popular fiestas, San Sebastián, which sees thousands of people from Adeje and the rest of the island congregating in the La Emramda beach zone in La Caleta. This is also one of the oldest fiestas, with celebrations dating back over five centuries. The year the main event takes place on Sunday January 20th. Those who wish to take part as riders with their mounts (horses, camels, donkeys, etc) must register in the Adeje Cultural Centre, between the hours of 8am and 3pm, weekdays, by January 18th and must have their animal’s registration papers, civic insurance and the relevant vaccination documents.

The celebrations begin on Saturday January 19th at 8pm with mass sung by the Boleros de Armeñime group, in honour of San Sebastián de Mártir. This is followed by a procession with the statue of San Sebastián, accompanied by the Adeje municipal band. At 10pm the San Sebastián folklore festival takes place with La Diata, the Asociación Cultural Imoque and the Adeje Folklore Group.

Sundays’ events begin at 12 noon with mass, sung by the Santa Úrsula parish choir, followed by the procession bringing the statue of San Sebastián along the customary route to the sea accompanied by horses and riders. Other animals are also present in front of the church for the public to view, from sheep to goats, oxen, and people also bring along their pets for the traditional blessing of animals which happens after the parade.

Over the weekend the public can also enjoy an open-air exhibition, ‘San Sebastián, a tradition’ with photographs from the municipal archive. There will also be performances from local singing and dance groups as well as stalls selling Canarian produce, and food and drink.

The security plan for this year’s festival includes the presence of a qualified veterinarian to guarantee the well-being of the animals present, and determine their fitness to participate in the parade.

Festival origins
The festival of San Sebastián has been celebrated in Adeje, and the rest of the island, since the beginning of the 18th century, and he is one of the borough’s patron saint, and someone to whom many Adeje people have prayed to for ‘favours’ or assistance, today as in the past. These days the fiesta has become a hugely popular tradition that goes beyond its religious significance, and contributed greatly to the continued social harmony of the many peoples who live in the borough.

Adeje’s statue of San Sebastián, which normally resides in the hermitage in front of the church, was created in the Bririllo de Valencia workshop and brought to Adeje in 1916, mentioned in an article published in the Gaceta de Tenerife on January 29th of that year. It has a classical aspect, smaller than life-size, and made from carved wood and polychrome.

Explaining to a ten year old just what a martyr is and how a town can adopt one (“but how many years ago did he die, why did they kill him and how can you adopt someone who is dead”) was my start to this year’s celebration’s of San Sebastián, one of Adeje’s patron saints, and an event that brings residents and tourists out in their thousands to the beach in La Enramada in La Caleta to watch the horses being brought down to the sea for a swim.

The ‘horses on the beach’ section of the day is only a part of a larger celebration, with small folk groups singing, mass, fireworks the night before and the launch of a fantastic book about San Sebastián in Adeje through the eyes of some of the borough’s older residents, but for many it’s the most important bit. And it’s probably one of the occasions when the international resident’s feel very much ‘Adejeros’ as they bring their families to this event year after year, and spend time explaining it to invited guests from abroad or perhaps tourists who stand beside them on the beach waiting for the horses to arrive. The waiting is hours-long for ten or fifteen minutes of equine presence, but that doesn’t really matter. It’s a sunny day, we’re on the beach, with friends and family, it’s a local fiesta, what’s not to like.

And no-one left the scene unhappy. The thousands who arrived (once an elusive parking place had been found) were happy with the spectacle, the kids loved the ponies and donkeys who were also part of the four-legged beach parade, San Sebastián was carried, respectfully, to the water’s edge, homage paid and returned to his church, and people wandered happily home or went back to the plaza to watch the other animals being blessed, enjoy a tapas or two with a beer or glass of wine, music playing, sun shining.
Viva San Sebastiàn, Viva.