Corpus Christi
Feast
ART ON THE STREET, THE CARPET PARTY
The feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated in Arucas after the conquer of this island by the Spanish troops. The first procession in Arucas was Corpus Christi in 1555, according to the chronicles. From the early morning, in Historic Town Centre, more than forty carpets are made with salt, sawdust, flowers and clay from the island. By the time the procession cames into the Parish Church, an impressive rain of roses.
The manufacture of carpets made with a certain artistic design
The manufacture of carpets made with a certain artistic design dates from the second half of the 19th century. It is a different festivity, since it owns a special magic capable of combining fervor and tradition, thanks to the skills of the carpenter masters, in charge of capturing the most creative and spectacular designs on the street. It is a day full of emotion, not only religious and artistic, since the senses also take higher relevance due to the contrast of aromas that can be perceived along the way. In addition, there is an atmosphere dominated by the enthusiasm of the neighbors who also participate in the decorating of the facades with palm leaves, flags, etc.
The Corpus Christi Festival in Arucas has an attraction that exceeds the religious sphere itself, intermingling other incentives, such as tradition, culture, crafts and neighborhood collaboration, than the realization in one of the events with the greatest influx and popular acceptance , standing out as one of the main tourist attractions of the municipality in recent years.
From the early hours of the morning of Sunday June 14, 2009, more than forty carpets, in a route that exceeds one kilometer, will be made with salt, sawdust, flowers and natural land of the island by hundreds of people (old, young and children), along the Historic Center of Arucas. In the afternoon, when the procession enters the "Cathedral" of Arucas, a shower of rose petals that are thrown from the vault of the temple makes the last carpet of flowers on the main altar.
Throughout the day, the streets of the historic center of Arucas are designated in an improvised stage where the carpenters, turned into actors for a day, go through all the steps necessary for the elaboration of the carpets, always, under the watchful eye of an itinerant audience that observes the good work of the protagonists from the sidewalks. It is therefore a unique occasion for residents of other towns and visitors to the island to take a souvenir of the artistically carpeted historic streets of the town with their photo and video cameras.
