ARE YOU AN INNOCENT?, The Leader

 

ARE YOU AN INNOCENT?,
The latest news from Spain and the Costa Blanca,


This is rather like April Fools Day but held on the 28th December when people, especially children, try to trick everyone else. The particular date celebrates the massacre of the innocent children by Herod's troops in Bethlehem seeking to kill the new “king” spoken about by the three Kings as they passed through Herod's court seeking directions. This Spanish fiesta is a fun one basing this feast n the idea that people would have tried to divert the soldiers by tricking them. In many Spanish towns this is a day when the people try to confound the innocent strangers by publishing impossible public notices. Ibi has its own council of non-elected persons who throw flour around and play tricks on everyone especially the real Mayor and the town council. Ibi holds the ‘festa dels Enfarinats' and has typical dancing of the area. On the eve of this fiesta some of those who live in Ibi are designated as «Els Enfarinats» who parade the streets asking citizens if they have any complaints. Els Enfarinats is a strange fiesta in Ibi which starts at the beginning of the day when members of the Enfarinats, dressed in old and odd clothing, take charge of the town each one taking over an official town position as mayor, town clerk etc. They then attack the opposition - the real town council - and whenever these unfortunates are seen they are vilified and lambasted, pelted with vegetables and flour. The council-for-a-day pour forth verbal abuse highlighting all the things that the real councillors have promised to do and have failed to achieve. The government for the day announces new nonsense laws - no drinking, no walking in the sun nor in the shade, no smoking, no walking on the pavement, nor in the street and other similar types of regulations worthy of breaking. Those who break these laws are liable to an on-the-spot fine and are then pelted with flour. Those who don't want a flouring are advised to stay away as the interim local government is keen to spread the uncooked Christmas cake around. On another note thanks to all those groups who have shown solidarity for the lesser off by organising carol concerts and fund raising events over the Christmas period especially, but throughout the year.. Well done to you all. This year particularly your humanitarian efforts have been noted and appreciated by many Spanish non-governmental organisations as well as several town halls. Torrevieja's mayor actually publicly stated that the British residents are a fine example of citizenship, as they never need to be asked to do anything as often the initiative comes from them. Incidentally town halls set apart a small percentage of their annual budget for deserving causes and as said before many British charities lose out because they register as a charity in Alicante yet fail to do the same in their home town where funds are available if requested and approved. And this is not an Inocentes remark! Felices fiestas a todos ustedes.

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