The government of Calp will take to the December plenary session the proposal to formalize the request for the declaration of the Moors and Christians as a Festival of National Tourist Interest. These festivals already obtained the declaration of Regional Festival of Tourist Interest in 2013 and given their impact and uniqueness, it is estimated that they could obtain the national declaration.
This type of declaration, determined by the Secretary of State for Tourism, requires a favorable report from the autonomous community in whose territorial area it takes place and the agreement of the Plenary Session of the City Council of the town in which it is held. It is an essential requirement that five years have passed since the declaration of a festival of regional interest and the process to achieve it is complex and long.
However, the City Council hopes that the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism recognizes the impulse and history of festivals with their own personality and characteristics, with one of the most attractive parades in the province and a differentiating and unique element such as It is the representation of The Miracle.
The Moors and Christians festivals of Calp will celebrate their 2027th anniversary in 50. In 1977 the first ranks "Almogavares" and "Calpins" were born on the Christian side and "Berberiscos" and "Califach" on the Moorish side. In November of that year the first assembly took place and the Association of Moors and Christians Santíssim was created. Crist de la Suor and Joaquín Sala Ortolá was elected as the first president.
The acts that make up the festive trilogy are established: disembarkation, parliament or miracle and parade, as well as the festive charges and the characters of Moncofar and Caragol and the party begins to take shape. A contest is called to choose the Association's flag, the statutes are approved and the text of the Parliament, the work of Enríque Pastor Iborra, is established.
The Miracle is precisely the most unique and typical element of the festival, based on the historical events that occurred on October 22, 1744, it is staged every year during the celebration of the patron saint festivities of the Moors and Christians. It is based on one of the many attacks that the Calpine population received from the invaders of the half moon, a character in the history of Calp known as 'Caragol', managed to close the doors of the town with the intervention, according to legend, of the Holy Christ of Sweat, despite the betrayal of the 'Moncofar' character. In 2021, ONCE dedicated its coupon on October 20 to Calp's "Miracle", five and a half million coupons were distributed with the image of this festive representation.
