A writer used to say a phrase that stuck with me: “we are the time we have left”. It seems that this thought makes us sad because we associate it with the time that we have left to live, but no, at the moment the writer in question pointed to another interpretation that I liked more: “We are the time that remains within us after having lived it "
The feelings and longings that we now experience take us back to childhood and adolescence in this our town of Migueláñez. Feelings are not part of life, but are life itself.
Within these longings I keep in my heart the image of my people at the Corpus Christi festival; that smell of incense, thyme and lavender in the church, the arches adorning the streets as well as the balconies adorned with Manila flags, bedspreads and shawls.
With the passage of time the town has been losing the activity of bygone times. I remember how in the 50s and 60s there were three schools with more than 110 children, 4 bakeries, 5 bars, fishmongers, chocolate factory ... Today the scarce population is highly aged; there is no school, no shops, and almost the only children seen are those of the weekend visitors to the rural houses. Corpus Christi was undoubtedly the most luminous and solemn festival of the year. Due to the lack of population, its celebration was lost, but thanks to the efforts of the neighbors, for four years this day has taken a special role in the life of Migueláñez.
Already on the eve in the afternoon the joyful ringing of bells and the solemn eve in the church announce what the big day will be like. Early in the morning, on Sunday, a group of men are dedicated to cutting tree branches to decorate the steps leading down to the church as well as the path of the procession.
As in the past, the churches are filled with the aroma of incense and lavender and the procession goes through the streets of the town, this time visiting the five altars delicately decorated with flowerpots, flowers, bedspreads and manila shawls.
After the procession through the streets, all the numerous attendees gather in the Juanje park to enjoy the classic Corpus donuts, buns, sangria ... at the same time that the raffle of donations to the brotherhood is carried out, not lacking the classic rooster castellano de corral, also this year several batches of the excellent Migueláñez Iberian Slices as well as batches of vintage wine, Ribera de Duero wines and even a batch of beauty products. There was no shortage of recognition for the three youngest members of the flourishing Brotherhood of Corpus and Vera Cruz of 5, 4 and 1 year old and the oldest brother of 95 years, as well as the distinction to the parish priest Edwin Anaya who thanks to their collaboration are recovering past traditions. He ended the day with a paella at the bar of the Cinema, where harmony, humor, knowing how to be and enjoying everyone reigned.
I can say that this day I have seen how the children of the people who came from abroad have shed tears of emotion as they see how the traditions of their ancestors are revitalized. It is nice to see how in this town, thanks to these festive activities, the union becomes more evident which is what makes our beloved people great and keeps alive.
From these lines and as president of the brotherhood of Corpus and Vera Cruz: Thank you all for your presence and collaboration! . Cheer up and move on! Together we revitalize the town! .
Original article from
Moisés Migueláñez Gómez - Migueláñez | 05/31/2016
