Zaragoza - La Fiesta de la Virgen del Pilar
Yesterday, Sunday, I went to Zaragoza with ShanShan and Isabel to join in the celebration of the Virgen del Pilar. La fiesta de la Virgen del Pilar lasts about one week in October (Sunday being the last day) to commemorate the patron saint of the Aragon region. There are plenty dances, performances shows, games, parties, parades, flowers, and masses all day long, all week long.
A little background which I looked up on the internet. The history of the Fiesta del Pilar began when the Apostle James came to Spain to preach the word of God to the pagans. While traveling in Aragon, the Virgin appeared to him and asked him to build a church on the marble pillar he was standing on. The Virgin disappeared but the pillar remained. Later on Santiago granted the request of the Virgin and constructed the beautiful Basilica del Pilar. The pillar, which is supposed to be the symbol of the strength of the church and a road linking Heaven and Earth, is the basis of the feast. The most important tradition is the offering of flowers to the Virgin in the Plaza del Pilar. People dressed in beautiful Spanish dresses (varying depending on the region they come from) line up to offer the Virgin different types of beautiful flowers.
The flower offerings to the Virgen del Pilar.
Some people dressed in Spanish dresses.
There are plenty more parades, dances, and shows but we were not fortunate enough to catch any.
We left rainy Pamplona at about 9:15 (because it took us 15 minutes to find the car). The drive was about two hours, pit stop included. When we got to Zaragoza it took us awhile to find parking but we managed to find a space quite near to the basilica. Unfortunately, it was still raining.
We headed to the Basilica to attend the 12:00 mass. After mass we proceeded to the Shrine to pray. The shrine of Pilar is really very beautiful. After saying our prayers we decided to walk out and look for a place to eat.
It was still raining, but it wasn’t raining that hard. My shoes, socks, and feet were drenched and after awhile I stopped sidestepping puddles and just walked wherever. It was nice to walk around in the rain. The streets weren’t two crowded yet there were many people celebrating in their own ways. It was easy to admire to beauty of the Zaragoza-styled streets and see the many different Spanish dresses as the people walk by.
We found a bar to have lunch in but then transferred to a small café for coffee and dessert. Afterwards we walked around some more and visited another church. I was also able to clearly see the Basilica, and wow, is it beautiful! I couldn’t stop talking pictures of it, determined to get a perfect shot.
Rainy Zaragoza streets.
ShanShan and I at the café.
ShanShan and I outside the Basilica.
Last shot before heading home. Me with the Basilica del Pilar and Ebro River in the background.
For university, I got my results for my first Spanish quiz. I scored a 91, and I'm happy with my score. I only had two mistakes but one of the mistakes was worth 7 points. For my first Redacción (essay) I got an 8 out of 10!
Comments