On Friday, Calp will begin the programme of events to celebrate the Moors and Christians festivities in honour of Cristo del Sudor, the Patron Saint of the Town, organised by the Association of Moors and Christians in collaboration with the Town Hall.
On Friday 18th at 13:19 the ringing of bells and the firing of ordinances are scheduled to announce the start of the festivities. In the afternoon at 00:20 the bands will enter the town and will parade through the various streets of the municipality from Plaza Colón. At 00:XNUMX the banners will be raised and the proclamation of the festivities will be given in the Plaza Mayor, which this year will be given by Antonia Avargues.
She is a person closely linked to the world of Moors and Christians, founder of the Association of Moors and Christians, standard-bearer of the association, councillor for festivals, for years she has been in charge of the stage set-up of the 'Miracle' and she is the designer of the Association's pennant.
At the end of the banner-raising ceremony, all the 'filaes' and the 2024 Festival Committee will hold a parade to the Church to celebrate the Offering of Candles to the Patron Saint. At 00:30 the Moors and Christians will meet to begin the typical entreetes that will go through the streets of the Old Town and at 01:00 the dance of the Moorish captain of the Filà Moriscos is scheduled in the street of Fora.
On Saturday 19th, the events will begin at 9:30 with the reveille from the Plaza del Mosquit. At 18:30, from Benissa Street to the Plaza Colón, the Grand Christian and Moorish Entry will begin, which represents the culmination of the work of the “filaes” since it is then when the best galas, floats, dances and other attractions are displayed, making this parade one of the most attractive in the province.
This will be the great moment of the Moor and Christian Captains of 2024, Kiko Thewinssen Pastor of the Filà Moriscos and Miguel Crespo Pastor of the Filà Contrabandistas, accompanied by the favourite, Andrea Thewinssen Pastor and the First Lady, Fanny Poquet Mut. Another of the relevant positions is that of Flag Bearer of the Association of Moors and Christians, which this year falls to Puri Verdú Balaguer, from Almogávares, and the Christian and Moor second lieutenants, Joaquín Pastor Pastos from Mossarabs d'Idac and Juan Ramón Clares Trabalón from Tuareg. In the evening, at 01:00 a.m. the dance of the Association's flag bearer will take place in the Filà Almogávares (Ermita Street).
Sunday 20th will be marked by the first major battle between the Moorish and Christian sides, as the landing of the Moorish troops on Arenal beach is scheduled for 10:45. This is undoubtedly one of the most attractive events of the festival. In the afternoon, the protagonists will be the children with the children's parade that will start at 19 pm from Benissa street.
On Monday, October 21, at 20:30 p.m., the Moors and Christians will engage in the second battle and the 'miracle' will be celebrated in the Plaza Mayor. This is one of the most significant events of the Calp festivities, which represents the moment when 'Caragol' manages to close the doors of the town after the betrayal of 'Moncofar.' In the evening, the Ball of Captain Cristiano is scheduled at the Filà Contrabandistas.
On Tuesday 22nd, the feast day of the Patron Saint, the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor, a Solemn Mass will be held in honour of the Patron Saint at 12 noon in the Plaza Mayor. After the mass, the firing of a spectacular mascletà and the transfer of the image of Christ back to the Church are planned.
In the evening, at 20pm, there will be a solemn procession through the streets of the old town and at the end there will be a night-time mascletà in the Plaza Mayor. The events will conclude with a mass for the dead which will be held on Tuesday 22nd October at 19pm in the Virgen de las Nieves Parish.
