Betera is a small town near to Valencia in Spain which celebrates
each year it's traditional Basil Festival. Each 15 August they
celebrates this festival which it is a National Tourism Festival
and it has got the record guiness as biggest basil in the world in
2007 with 259 centimetres of high. In 2008 they can not get another
record guines because the weather was too cold, and the begining
when the basil was planted they haven`t got a properly weather
which it made the plant hasn't grown as much as 2007. This festival
is origirally from 19 Century and it is a offering flower in honour
August Virgin. In this festival BASILS and OBRERAS are the main
womans of this festival whose 2 are singles and 2 are married. The
singles Obreras wearing a traditional dress of 18 Century of
Valencia area and it's election as Obreras is a secret which it is
not saying until 22 August of this year for the next year. When the
obreras are elected they have got a big responsability , specially
the singles one whose are the maximum representation of the town.
To be OBRERA it will cost 40.000 euros because the person who are
elected she has to invited and pay all the acts of this festival.
Laura Grande a tv presenter of a Local Televison from Valencia was
a Obrera a few years ago and she said that there are two special
moment in this festival for THE SINGLE OBRERA : The first one is
when the Obrera go out from his house and give one round of herself
to show his dress., The second act which emotions are intense is
when the OBRERA arrives to the entrance of the Church and MARRIED
OBRERA put a white veil in his head as a symbol of virginity. I
would like to say thank you to LAURA GRANDE because she help to me
to do this report. Also Another important representation in this
Festival are MAYORALES whose They are very important in this
festival because they are the person whose they will organise the
festival for next year which are elected, for this reason they will
be responsible to get money for the festival and to do many acts,
so when they have been selected they will made a national lotery,
bingos and sell drinks and baguettes during the year was elected
and the following year they will enjoy the festival. To be a
MAYORAL there is a list for each year and to be elected it takes a
long time for this reason you have to apply 10 or 15 year before
you are selection as MAYORAL. Javier Adrian has applied this
position in 1997 and he says to me that soon he will be a Mayoral.
As LAURA GRANDE, JAVIER ADRIAN explain many things about this
festival and I would like to say Thank you to him. This year he is
one of the person whose wearing one of the 24 BASIL.The person
whose wearing the 24 basill are elected by the SINGLE OBRERAS and
they choose between friends and relatives. They usually wearing a
flower's shirt and they are called PORTADORES DE LA ALFABEGA
(Carriers of BASIL) or CORSETERS (popular name). JAVIER ADRIAN
recommend me to see one of the 4 decorate's street of this festival
which show a rabits, squirol , traditional carriage and old house
of Valencia which are made with straw. This street it takes many
days to decorated and 15 person met at 7 o`clock in the afternon
until midnight during 20 days to make decoration's street. .In 2008
the BASIL FESTIVAL started at 10 o'clock in the morning when the
Obreras (mains single's womans of the festival) arrives to the Hort
Alfabegues(place where the basil were guarded) and all together
they went out to go around all the streets of Betera until they
arrives to the Church. This year there are 20 big Basil and 4 small
basil. The big basil weigh is 1200 kilogrames and it was moved in a
carriage. The Medium Basil weigh is around 700-800 kilos and it was
moved by 10 persons whose are called CORSETERS and the small Basil
weigh is 150-200 kilogrames. Also there is a person RAMON ASENSI
who is responsible to plant the basil and take care during 4 months
of this plant which it can grow more 2.30 metres, depending of the
weather. There is another important group for this festival whose
they are named GLOMA . They will give confeti in al the street
where the procession throw, for this reason they have to give more
than 11000 kilos of confetti around all the street. Also this group
they will helped by a small lorry where the cofenti is guarded. In
2008 the festival went quickly than other years and The first
single Obrera , Maria Pilar arrived at 13,30 at the church square
where the white veil was put in his head for the married Obrera.
This moment it is one of the most emotive act of this event and
Pilar's emotions were very special and she started to cry as a
symbol of happiness, later on Maria Amparo, the second single
Obrera arrived to the church square and she has the same feelings
as Pilar's emotions.After this act they went to the church and they
went to the church and the festival finished.Betera is enjoying all
the festival which it is pretty nice and surprisingly and next
friday 22 August they will know whose are the new Obreras for the
next festival in 2009.
In response to assignment:
iReport for CNN