There are not many festivals in Spain which are organised by the townspeople themselves, without big money sponsors, and fewer still as colourful and spectacular as this one.
Abahana Villas - Detail of the dress of the Moors and Christians of Jávea.
Swords, catapults, long cloaks, face painted with fanciful designs, winding turbans. The participants' costumes and make up is really impressive, particularly in its attention to detail, the spectacular floats or the proud horses with their shining coats galloping loudly down the street.
The music bands are really threatening, especially at nightfall with the contrast between the dark and the lights helping to create a mysterious atmosphere. The attention to detail is admirable: all around are embossed belts, Moorish slippers, feathered headpieces or fantastic "gold and silver" from mysterious far away lands. Here and there the brave Christian warriors hold up their symbols; the eagles, lions and crosses, against the crescent moons and horns emblazoned on the uniforms and equipment of the ferocious Moors.
The Moors and Christians festival recreates an era which combined bloody battles and peaceful coexistence as well as moments of mutual mistrust. All the colour, show and ostentatiousness of these celebrations is an attempt to overcome the seven long centuries of war such as during the Muslim invasion and the later Christian reconquest.
In Jávea the celebrations are held in the third week in July, with impressive parades of Moorish and Christian women as well as the Muslim landing on the beach or the Christian assault on the castle and the surrender of the Moors.
The main parade, known as the Filà Capitana de Contrabandistas de Xábia, ends with a spectacular firework display which fill the Jávea streets with light and sound. The party goes on into the night and, far from the bad feeling of old, the Christian and Moorish troops party together as friends.
Come and join in this journey into the past, a festival full of good, clean fun and a real spectacle of light, sound and colour.
At the beginning of October, just at the start of the autumn, Moraira takes on a distinctly German feel as it celebrates its very own Oktoberfest. Nowadays, this extremely popular and traditional German festival is being celebrated in more and more Spanish cities and towns. Set up in the public car park in Moraira, more than 5000 litres of German beer, typical food and live music pay homage to one of the world's most popular festivals.
The month of October is when Calpe holds an event that people have been looking forward to all year: bands of music, the raising of standards in the Castle, the offering, the disembarkation or the great Parade are the highlights of the traditional Moors and Christians festivities in honour of the "Santísimo Cristo del Sudor" (the Most Holy Christ of Sweat).
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