Photos: Sergio Betancort
The proclamation by María Dolores Tavío officially started the El Mojón festivities in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. The reading took place this Thursday in the social hall of the Guenia sociocultural center, where neighbors, family and friends of the speaker gathered to listen to María Dolores' experiences.
Tavío has lived in the town of Uga since she was a child. In the 60s, when she was very young, only 16 years old, she met the young Ambrosio Betancort while working as a chambermaid, and a "love at first sight" arose between them, forming her own family with 4 children and 6 grandchildren. María Dolores described her first visits to El Mojón, a town with very few houses and the limited infrastructure of the time. The festivities at that time lacked programming since everything revolved around the church with the celebration of the Eucharist, procession, some palm-covered stalls and some parrandas with timple and guitar, highlighting the special food, the puchero or meat stew with bread and some homemade sweets. Everything was different and despite the few days of celebration, it was lived with great enthusiasm to wear the new suit and shoes, leave the house, talk to the neighbors and spend time around the church, the center of the meetings. The speaker also said that on the last day of the festivities and following tradition, the neighbors gathered in the Sacristy of the church to eat torrijas and chocolate, authentic delicacies in those years.
Although María Dolores has not resided in the town since she married Ambrosio, she has always felt like one more, collaborating with everything she can help with. After the current C.S.C. was built, she has participated as part of the festival committee, acting in the Play Back as just another neighbor, celebrating the most important family events in said social center, such as the celebrations of weddings, baptisms and first communions of her children and grandchildren. The speaker, who was very supported by her family, neighbors and friends, accepted the invitation that the board of directors of the center had made to her to collaborate, contributing to ensuring that the festivals continue to be celebrated. The Councilor for Festivities of the Teguise City Council, Nori Machín, was also present at the event. At the end of her experiences, the festival committee presented her with a bouquet of flowers.