La Mariseca

A pleasant surprise in the Plaza Mayor:

J. Santiago and I had a pleasant surprise this weekend. As we were sitting in the Plaza Mayor, we noticed more people than usual gathering and a hugh crane with firemen in the middle of the square. When a band started playing, J. Santiago stated, "Maybe they are changing the flag?" To our delight, we just happend to catch one of the festivals in Salamanca known as La Mariseca--the announcement of the bullfights for the upcoming year. The festival normally takes place in the middle of August (I'm not really sure why it was early this year). Traditionally, members of the bullfighting community would scale the Plaza Mayor and place a small Spanish flag with the black silhouette of a bull above it at the highest point of the Plaza. On the back of the bull, all the dates of the upcoming major bull fights were posted. They played music, and they released fireworks in celebration. Today, much of the ceremony is the exact same except that local firemen use modern technology to help them reach the top of the Plaza.

NOW, for your viewing pleasure, I am attempting my first video posts! The first one shows the man lighting the fireworks (with his cigarette!). The second video shows the fireworks a little better. Enjoy a few seconds in the Plaza Mayor!