In the city of Castellón, the end of July is synonymous with nerves, emotions, and deceptions for the world of the festival. It is the time of the election of the people that will play the highest institutional representation during the next magdalenera edition. The Queens and their Ladies of the City are elected.
In early July, the rules that regulate the election of the Queens and Ladies of the City were made public for the Magdalena 2023 edition. The regulations established a period from July 11st to July 18th for all candidates who so wished could submit the required documentation.
A rule that already appeared with controversy. First, for its manners, without consensus with the world of the festival. Second, the changes addressed in its drafting breached, once again, the agreements that the world of the festival adopted as conclusions in the IV Congreso Magdalenero. We must remember that the City Council itself sponsored it.
Covered in a false opening, it “forgot” the criterion established in previous regulations to consider a “sine qua non” condition to have been previously Madrina to be eligible to be Queen or Lady. It created significant discomfort in the festival’s world to the point of being approved with the vote against four of the ten people who made up the Governing Council and caused a letter of protest from the Gestora de Gaiates addressed to the first municipal authority.
However, at the end of the submission period, twelve women were submitted for the Corte Mayor and seven girls for the Corte Infantil. It is essential to highlight the low participation among the children, despite having extended by one year the age of entry. Still, it is necessary to remember that the children were Children’s Madrinas of the different Gaiatas since the Magdalena 2020, which meant that many exceeded the extended age. Ultimately, all of them, adults and children, were or had been Madrinas of Gaiata -as the Spanish proverb says, “para este viaje, no hacían falta estas alforjas” (for this trip, these saddlebags were not necessary)-.
Sequiol opted for representation in both Courts as our Madrinas, Lourdes, and Alejandra had submitted their candidacy.
And the afternoon of Friday 29, in the hall of the Palau de la Festa, proceeded to the vote to complete both Courts. First, the election of the Queen and Children’s Queen for the Magdalena 2023 took place.
Alejandra Sáez Sisamón, our Children’s Madrina of the Magdalena 2022, was elected Children’s Queen of the Festival for the Magdalena 2023. And the Sequiol@s burst into an immense joy: Alejandra would represent all the girls and boys of the city.
On the other hand, Selene Tarín Alegre, Madrina of the Gaiata 19, was elected as Queen of the Festival.
After the protocol call of the Mayor of the City to the newly elected Queens for the next magdalenera edition, the election of the six girls and women who would complete the Court of Honor of the Queens took place.
Thus, Alejandra will be accompanied by Sofia Guimerá Navarro (Gaiata 7), María Cano Rambla (Gaiata 10), Daniella Gimeno Segarra (Gaiata 6), Lucía Benítez García (Gaiata 14), Noa Pascual Soler (Gaiata 4), and Miriam Busto Lleó (Gaiata 18).
Selene will be accompanied by Camila Castelluchio Monroy (Gaiata 6), Paula Hernández Capdevila (Gaiata 5), Raquel Provinciale Cazalla (Gaiata 3), Nadia Mas Gasulla (Gaiata 18), Raquel Prats Borreguero (Gaiata 13), and Andrea Alcaide Hernández (Gaiata 17).
Our Madrina Lourdes was not among those who will accompany our Queen this year. We do not want to demean the chosen ones. Not at all, but we sincerely believe that Lourdes, for her festive background, poise, sympathy, and countless reasons, should have been within the selected group. Those who choose will have to explain their reasoning. For all Sequiol@s, it was an enormous disappointment. Still, we feel very proud of the temperance and courage that Lourdes demonstrated, accepting such an unfair decision -one more reason that reflects the mistake made by those who did not select her-. For us, the Sequiol@s, you have been and will deserve such a distinction.
But we had something to celebrate. And a lot. Our Alejandra was the 2023 Festival Children’s Queen and the second girl Sequiola that reached such a high festive distinction. And as it could not be otherwise, the Sequiol@ delegation accompanied her in such an emotional event.
Our representatives for the Magdalena 2023, Adriana Llopis Pascual, siblings Lucia and Carlos Benedito Ordaz, and the President of the Association, Elisabeth Breva, offered to the newest Children’s Queen a spectacular floral arrangement and an original piece of the Magdalena 2022 Children’s Gaiata of Sequiol, in which Alejandra was the Children’s Madrina.
Congratulations, Alejandra, for such a well-deserved election. And extendable to Miguel and María José, Alejandra’s parents, who will surely enjoy a great year.
With mixed emotions: joy for Alejandra and disappointment for Lourdes, the Sequiol@s, we are already preparing for the Magdalena 2023 that, for sure, will be full of new challenges where we will be able to achieve a significant number of successes.Fotos cortesía VIVE CASTELLON
Fotos cortesía EL PERIODIC
Fotos cortesía COMISION
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