The residents of the municipality of Yaiza last Saturday at 6:00 p.m. gathered next to the soccer field and from there they left on a pilgrimage, starting on Vista de Yaiza street and ending in the heart of the town in the square in front of the church where Our Lady of Los Remedios was waiting for them, accompanied by the parish priest of Yaiza, Yonathan Almeida, the mayor Óscar Noda and some councilors.
The streets were filled with color provided by the members of the folk groups who participated, cheering as they passed with traditional dances and songs, which were also joined by the members of the participatory parrandas. The Marinera Los Buches parranda led the parade, cheering with its marine airs and the great showiness of its clothing with its flag and ribbons in the air. Los Buches, a unique cultural heritage of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands.
The Folk Groups, Gaida representing the municipality of Tías, Guadarfia to San Bartolomé, Rubicón to Yaiza, Güerma to Puerto del Carmen and the parrandas with all their members very well dressed cheering the entire route. Without a doubt, the passage of the camels powerfully caught the attention of visitors, some carrying farm implements and the carts decorated with palm trees as is traditional in Lanzarote and pulled by donkeys.
It should also be noted that more and more pilgrims are concerned about dressing in typical or peasant costumes, giving the pilgrimage a much more festive and representative touch. When the entire procession approached the church, the public managed to make a space and be as close as possible to the image of Los Remedios in order to enjoy the songs and dances that the folk groups and parrandas offered to the Virgin as they passed, and where everyone wanted to immortalize the moment of the typical dances by shooting with their cameras and cell phones every movement.
All the groups and individual people who participated in the pilgrimage deposited their offerings with non-perishable products next to the throne of Our Lady of Los Remedios, which will be distributed among the most vulnerable families. The pilgrimage is the way we Canarians have of expressing ourselves by sharing our traditional and popular songs and dances, making use of peasant or typical clothing without forgetting our most representative products such as gofio, cheese, jarea or octopus, all washed down with our wines, without forgetting the varied and delicious homemade artisan pastries.
