THE BONFIRES OF ALICANTE 2022

With the arrival of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the Bonfires of San Juan exhibit their maximum splendor in the sister city of Alicante.
After two very long years of the pandemic, the Sequiol@s moved to Alicante’s lands. Faithful to the annual fraternal meeting, we wanted to live with our good friends of the Hoguera Maisonnave of Alicante, this glorious tradition of the healing fire.
A delegation, headed by our Madrina, Lourdes Climent, who was accompanied by the President of the association, Elisabeth Breva, were greeted by the Belleza del Fuego Mayor, Sara Cano López, the Belleza del Fuego Infantil, the girl Adriana Griebl Ros, and by its President, Joaquín Abegón, at the doors of the Barraca Toca Fusta. They were under the attentive gaze of the two Hogueras, Mayor and Infantil, and the Ninot al Carrer. The latter won the second prize of the contest, a magnificent reference to our friend Nieves, with her now famous vote to the mascletà of the day, from her balcony in the Plaza de Los Luceros.
We spent glorious days of coexistence with our festive brothers that had an unexpected guest. Like Gaiatas and Fallas, the Hogueras did not want to miss soaking in the rain. An intense downpour forced us to suspend the first day of the Ofrenda, where our Children’s Queen, Gal·la Calvo, and her Court of Honor should participate. Everything was solved the next day when she participated with our elegant Queen Carmen Molina and her Court of Honor. And of course, among them, our Sequiola Àgueda Ibars.
The night of San Juan. With the firing of the famous Palmera from the Castillo Santa Bárbara, the Cremà began. With everything ready, Adriana, Belleza del Fuego Infantil, lit the fuse of the firework that would envelop the children’s monument in the divine fire. And then, without interruption, the water came into play. It first served to dominate the fire but then to soak the audience, who previously demanded it, shouting “water, water…”.
Waiting her turn was Sara, Belleza del Fuego, to take the flare from the hands of its President. The magical ritual started putting an end to the Bonfire of 2022 with the purifying fire. And again, the usual litany of “water, water …” ended up soaking entirely those who were witnessing the Cremà; of this can attest, our Madrina, Lourdes, who was not spared from the soaking.
The Hogueras de San Juan of Alicante 2022 were already history. Now we all commit ourselves to the 2023 edition where our friends of the Hoguera Maisonnave will enjoy our Magdalena Festival, but that will be next year.
Thank you very much to all members of the Hoguera Maisonnave, led by its President and Bellezas. And especially to Nieves, who let us enjoy the almost 150 kilos mascletà on San Juan’s day -fired by Pirotecnia Fernández- in a unique way; from her balcony on the seventh floor of the Plaza de Los Luceros. And to participate in the voting -a 9.5 that in the opinion of the undersigned was very generous-. We hope to be able to reciprocate, all of you, when you come to visit our Gaiata. We will wait for you.

Fotos cortesía SEQUIOL

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