Photos: S. Betancort / J. Fuentes.- Celso Betancort Delgado, the Councilor for Youth and Environment of the Arrecife City Council, was in charge of inaugurating these festivities with the reading of a proclamation that was full of references to the calm and supportive nature of the residents of this neighborhood. In addition, the councilor explained the origin of the name of the Virgin of Chaxiraxi through a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation. Another large part of his proclamation was dedicated to the church project for Argana Baja. The residents have been trying to build a temple in their neighborhood for a long time.
Finally, a private individual has donated a plot of land to the neighborhood to be used for that purpose. But for the church to be built, the land has to be classified for that type of use and is currently in the review phase of the General Plan. The bishopric is asking for confirmation that the land will be used for ecclesiastical purposes, but that is not possible at the moment because the Plan has not been approved. As a counterpart, the City Council has promised to present a motion in the Plenary Session by all political groups, to decide unanimously that the land be classified for ecclesiastical use. At the end of his speech, the residents gave the speaker a gift: a ceramic jug, typical of the ancient pottery of Lanzarote.
But without a doubt, one of the most emotional moments of the afternoon occurred when Rafael de León, a recently widowed neighbor, read a poem dedicated to his deceased wife. She was a resident of Argana Baja who belonged to the Vulcana Choir and actively participated in the organization and celebration of the neighborhood's festivities.
This first festive day concluded with a Canarian stall, where the residents were able to enjoy various delicacies prepared according to the traditional recipes of popular gastronomy.
Little Play-back Stars
Last Tuesday, one of the most important events in any self-respecting neighborhood festival took place: the children's and youth play-back, which was followed by a large audience devoted to their neighbors. There were several musical performances in which the youngest and the teenagers put all their enthusiasm and affection. It was their night, they were happy and they did very well. This is an act that generates a lot of expectations, it is one of the most awaited by both children and their families. This is demonstrated by the number of people who came last night to witness it. More than a hundred people came to support their little ones and to enjoy their performances. The audience was made up of parents, friends and other relatives who did not hesitate to record the performance of their loved ones with video cameras.
There were also hundreds of flashes from the cameras to portray those special moments. The event lasted approximately an hour and a half and everyone received generous applause as a reward for their effort and enthusiasm.
An altar at street level
The next day the children were entertained with the children's games that the organizers had prepared for them. And in the afternoon the Eucharist and the procession in honor of the Virgin of Chaxiraxi were celebrated. This procession is unique because the neighborhood does not have a church and the Virgin is located in the warehouse of a neighbor named Dolores. For this reason, the mass was celebrated in the socio-cultural center and was officiated by the priest of Santa Coloma, Don Venerando. Afterwards, the residents paraded the holy Image through the streets of the neighborhood to conclude the tour at the altar that this devout neighbor has carefully prepared for the Chaxiraxi. And twice a month mass is celebrated in that space reserved for the worship of the Virgin.
After the procession there was a play-back starring the young people of the neighborhood enlivened by a very special fashion show, since all the garments are made with crochet. The Councilor for Festivities of the Arrecife City Council, Encarna Páez, highly valued a short, but complete and incident-free festival.
A Virgin with a Guanche name
The origin of the Virgin of Candelaria dates back to the end of the 14th century, about a hundred years before the conquest of Tenerife, when a Gothic carving of the Virgin appeared on the coasts of the Güímar Valley, at the mouth of the Chimisay Ravine.
According to Fray Alonso de Espinosa, two Guanche shepherds found the image on a rock and believed it was a woman. As they were forbidden to speak to women in uninhabited places, they signaled her to move away so as not to scare the cattle. One of them had his arm paralyzed and the other, when trying to hurt her with his knife, was injured in turn. Frightened, they went to see Mencey Acaymo, who came down with his counselors to check what the shepherds were telling him. The Mencey ordered the two injured shepherds to pick up the Image to take it to the cave-palace and these, when they picked it up, healed on the spot. In this way, the king understood that the Image was something supernatural, so he insisted on taking it. But at a certain moment, he could not handle it and had to ask for help. At that point, the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Socorro stands today. The image of the Black Virgin was taken to a cave near the mencey's palace, now converted into a chapel. The Guanche named Antón, who had been a slave of the Spaniards, recognized the image as the Virgin Mary, and she became venerated as Chaxiraxi (Lady of the World) in the cave of Achbinico.
