EVENTS IN THE FIESTA
San Fermín is
filled with moments of interest and excitment which mean a lot to
the people of Pamplona. San Fermín is not a just 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, thereare certain events, some
of them included in the official program, that deserve attention.
EL CHUPINAZO (THE
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", start every morning at 6:45, they 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 runners 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.