The "Porrat de San Antón" in Alicante
ALICANTE - Guapa, Guapa y Guapa - is the new catch phrase chosen by Alicante Tourist Authorities for their new 2011 campaign, along with the subheading "Quiereme como yo te quiero a ti" (Love me as much as I love you). In deed, Alicante has come a long ways over the past decade or two in revamping its image from an ugly portside duckling to a shining Mediterranean jewel. Much remains to be done, but overall, the city is certainly on the right track. Despite hords of Northern European vacationers taking the city by storm in the summer, Alicante remains quintessentially Spanish with its own infrastructure, traditions and celebrations. No better way to pay tribute to the spirit and beauty of Alicante than to introduce one of its major local festivals, the "Porrat de San Anton".
Spain is known for its many festivities year-round from the bull run of San Fermines in Pamplona to the Fallas fireworks in Valencia. Yet many holidays and festivals are of a more local nature and thus attract less international tourists but rather visitors interested in the local host culture and customs. While on Alicante's busy year-round events calendar, the Bonfire of LAS HOGUERAS in late June ranks among the most popular festivity attracting thousands of visitors local and foreign alike, the Alicante region boasts many lesser known local festivals, including the "PORRAT DE SAN ANTON" (St. Anthony's Market) in January. While St. Anthony, also known es San Anton of Egypt or EL ABAD, is celebrated as a Patron Saint in many parts of Italy and Spain, the festival in Alicante has some traditions of its own worth exploring in greater detail.
As Patron Saint of domestic animals, Saint Anthony's day involves bonfires and processions in most places along with blessings of animals in various venues. In Alicante, the festival takes place in the SAN ANTON neighborhood of the same name, which happens to be within proximity to the city's majestic PLAZA DE TOROS or Bullring. There locals gather for the blessing of their domestic animals, dancing and riotous events. The term "PORRAT" in catalan refers in fact to a Market held on nearby premises. More like a traditional fair, locals sell dried fruit, nuts (hazelnuts, almonds and chestnuts) quince jelly, dried chickpeas and a special nougat candy known as "TURRON DE NOVIA" (Bride's Nougat). This special nougat candy forms part of a gift that future brides expect from their fiances as part of the "mocador d'herbes", a local tradition, whereby a cloth known as "mocador d'herbes" is used to wrap up edible sweets as treats for their loved ones, including marcipan fruits and precisely this kind of "Bride's Nougat" sold amng others at the local PORRAT de San Anton.
The procession of animals for later blessings along with games for the children and music events for the elderly were traditionally started from the Santa Maria church and then moved to the front of the main entrance of the most beautiful chapel on the edge of what nowadays is known as the "DIAZ MOREU" discrict of Alicante. The "Ermita de San Anton" was built in 1586 and subsequently fell into total disrepair until its abandonment in 1807. More recently, the premises of Alicante's prestigious Bull Ring from 1847 have been used for the event attracting thousands of mostly local revelers. The festival culminates in a lavish fireworks display around 10 pm featuring 15 minutes of colorful "castillos" fireworks in the skies above SAN ANTON as well as loud "MAZCLETAS" firecrackers on the ground. The Porrat de san Anton thus attests to the Alicantino's sense of tradition and customs along with the overall Spanish afinity to ebullient fireworks, probably even more marked in the Mediterranean areas of Spain as witnessed during Fallas, Hogueras and the Porrat de San Anton.
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