OFFICIAL PROGRAMME OF CELEBRATIONS 2004 (Download Pdf)

FEBRUARY

Saturday 28

• At 21'30  Tomir Awards 2004 Ceremony. Organized by the City Council of Caravaca de la Cruz and the Cultural Association Cábila Almorávides.

MARCH

Friday 5

• Rondalla (fable) performed by the Caballeros Hospitalarios de San Juan de Jerusalén.

Saturday 6

• At 20'00 Ceremony of presentation of the festivals. At the Emilio Thuiller Theatre.

Friday 12

• Rondalla of the Caballeros de San Juan de Jerusalén.

Saturday 13

• At 19'00 Official Presentation of Infantile Sultans and Infantile Christian King and Queen, Infants of Castile. At the Pabellón Multiservicios.

Friday 19

• At 20'00 Official Presentation of the new Christian King and Queen. At the Pabellón Multiservicios.

Saturday 20

• Fashion and Hairdressing Competition. (CEMOPE) 2004. At the Pabellón Multiservicios.

Friday 26

• Rondalla of the Caballeros de San Juan de Jerusalén.

Saturday 27

• At 20'30 Medieval Supper organized by the Sovereign Order of the Knight Templars.
• At 24'00 Medieval Ball. At the Pabellón Multiservicios.

Sunday 28

• At 12'00 Mass for the Armaos Company (guard of the Most Holy and True Cross of Caravaca).
• At 20'00 Official Presentation of the Amazons, both infantile and adult, of the Wine Horses. At the municipal Stadium of El Salvador.

From Monday 29 to Friday 2

• Cultural Week organized by the Association of the Wine Horses.

APRIL

Friday 2

• Rondalla of the Caballeros Hospitalarios de San Juan de Jerusalén.

Saturday 3

• The Christians Day. Activities organized by the different Christian groups and held at the Christian Encampment.
• In the morning, firework and street music bands. At midday meeting and free meal at the Encampment.
• Popular parade of music bands along the most important streets of Caravaca.
• At 1'30 meeting of music bands and popular parade.

Sunday 4

• At 12'00 Mass for the Moorish Groups.

From Monday 12 to Friday 16

• Cultural Week organized by Cábila Almorávides.

Friday 16

• Rondalla  of the Caballeros Hospitalarios de San Juan de Jerusalén.

Saturday 17

The Moors Day. Chilaba's Ball and Supper.

• At 8'00 Firework and free breakfast.
• At 13'00 Parade of music bands.
• At 14'30 Meal organized by the Moorish Association.
• At 16'30 Free Moorish tea.
• At 21'00 Chilaba's Supper and Ball. Later, meeting of Moorish groups and music bands and Parade along the most popular places of Caravaca.

Sunday 18

• At 10'30 Meeting of the Wine Horses Association at the Church of Santa Elena. Then, procession of the image to the Sanctuary.
• At 12'00 Mass for the Wine Horses Association. Later, traditional raffle for the order of appearance of the Wine Horses at the celebrations of the 2nd May.

Friday 23

• At 21'00 The King's Swearing.
• Next, at the San Juan's Castle, Medieval Supper and performing of the Romancero Maldito.(ironic play that in verse criticises different things happened in the city the year).

Saturday 24

• The Neckerchief's Day (these neckerchiefs are worn the 2nd of May for the celebration of the Wine Horses Day).
• In the morning, fireworks and music bands.
• At 14'30 Meal at the Almacén de Trigo.
• At 16'00 Free coffee and Official Neckerchiefs of the Wine Horses selling.
• At 17'15 Reception of El Tio de la Pita (popular pipe player that announces the festivals).
• Meeting at the Plaza Elíptica and parade to the Plaza del Arco.
• At 18'15 Welcome of El Tio de la Pita from the Town Hall's Balcony. Later, free meal for children.
• At 23'30 The Neckerchief's Ball. At the Plaza del Arco.
• At 00'30 Meeting of music bands and  Wine Horses Peñas (name given to a group of people related to the Wine Horses celebrations)at the Plaza Elíptica.

Sunday 25

• At 12'00 Mass for the Christian Groups and Blessing of Standars.
• At 18'00 Parade of Giants and Large Headed dwarfs, accompanied by El Tio de la Pita.
• At 20'30 Official Announce of the beginning of the festivals made by Mr.
• Francisco Sánchez Martínez from the Town Hall's Balcony

From Monday 26 to Thrusday 29

• At 8'00 Firework and parade of El Tio de la Pita.
• At 17'30 Games and Competitions for children at the Placeta del Santo.
• At 18'30 Parade of Giants and Large Headed dwarfs, accompanied by El Tio de la Pita.

Thrusday 29

• At 21'30 Performing of the play " The Miraculous  Appearance of the Most Holy and True Cross of Caravaca" at the Sanctuary.

Friday 30

• At 7'00 General Bell-ringing and fireworks.
• At 9'30 Official Collect. With the participation of civil, military and ecclesiatical authorities, as well as the Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of the Most Holy and True Cross of Caravaca and the Commission of Festivities.
• At 23'00 XXXIII Competition of Migas (typical meal) of the Southeast. At the Plaza de los Caballos del Vino and its surroundings.

MAY

Saturday 1

• At 7'00 General Bell-Ringing from the Parish Church of El Salvador.
• At 11'00 Offer of flowers to the Holy Cross.
• Meeting of authorities, Brotherhood, Commission of Festivities, Moorish and Christian Groups and Wine Horses Peñas at the Corredera.
• Offer of flowers to the Cross at the Sanctuary.
• Mass sung by the Coros y Danzas Group.
• At this Mass the new members of the Brotherhood will be given their pendant of the Cross for the first time.
• At 17'00 Competition of Horses without Harness. Meeting of Peñas at the Plaza Elíptica. Beginning of the parade to the Plaza del Hoyo for the competition.
• At 18'00 Public Exhibition of some Embroidered Harnesses.
• At the Church of the Compañía de Jesús.
• At 19'00 Satiric Romance. Performed by Caballeros de San Juan de Jerusalén at the Plaza Tuzla.
• At 20'00 Welcome of Music Bands and parade from the Plaza Elíptica to the Plaza del Arco.
• At 22'00 the Musical Association of Caravaca will play the Hymn of Caravaca.

Then, Exhibition of Embroidered Harnesses. Visit to the other places in which the harnesses are exhibited.

Sunday 2

• At 4'00 Bell-Ringing from the Parish Church of El Salvador.
• At 7'00 Firework and Bell-Ringing from all the churches in the city.
• At 9'00 Mass of Commemoration of the Appearance of the Most Holy and
• True Cross of Caravaca. It will be celebrated at the Templete, where all the
• Moorish, Christian and Wine Horses Groups will meet.
• At 9'30 Parade of the Wine Horses. Its itinerary will be the following:
• Templete, Cuesta de la Simona, Calle del Hoyo, Plaza de los Caballos del Vino, Canalejas, Vidrieras, Gregorio Javier, Plaza del Arco and Gran Vía, to reach again the Templete.
• At 11'45 Parade of Moors and Christians.
• Itinerary: Templete, Poeta Ibáñez, Canalejas, Gregorio Javier and Plaza del Arco.There the authorities will join the Parade following their way to Puentecilla, Gran Vía, Maruja Garrido, Santísimo, Rafael Tejeo, Mayor and Sanctuary.
• At 13'15 the Wine Horses will join this Parade at the crossing of Santísimo and Rafael Tejeo. The Brother Superior of the Brotherhood will take the bouquet of flowers that later will be offered to the Holy Cross by the Major. These flowers represent the present that people from Caravaca give to the Cross at this very special day.
  Blessing of the Wine and the Flowers.
• At 14'00 Race of the Wine Horses and Harnesses Competition. The Race is celebrated at the last hill that reaches the Sanctuary.
• At 20'30 Battle between Moors and Christians. The Muslims manage to conquest the fortress.
• At 21'00 Procession of the Holy Cross. From the Sanctuary to the Parish Church of El Salvador. Moorish and Christian Groups will join this procession after the authorities.

Monday 3

• At 11'00 Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Cartagena Mr. Manuel Ureña Pastor at the Parish Church of El Salvador.
• At 12'30 Children's Parade. Its itinerary will be the following: Plaza Elíptica, Gran Via and Plaza del Arco.
• At 17'45 Procession of the Bath of the Cross.
• The Moorish and Cristian Groups will begin the procession from the Parish Church of El Salvador to the Templete.
• Then, the Cross will leave the Parish Church to reach the Cuesta de la Cruz before the Blessing of the Water at the Templete.
• At 20'30 Parliament between the Christian King and the Sultan. After that, another battle will be performed.
• At 21'00 Blessing of the Water and procession to the Parish Church. The Moorish and Christian Groups will join this procession at 22'00.
• The itinerary will be as it follows: Templete, Corredera, Maruja Garrido, Gran Vía, Puentecilla, Plaza del Arco and Parish Church of El Salvador.
  Firework from the esplanade of the Sanctuary.

Tuesday 4

• At 8'00 Holy Mass from the Parish Church of El Salvador.
• At 9'00 Cruz de Impedidos ( the Cross visits ill people at home).
• At 17'30 Mass at the Parish Church of San Francisco. Procession to the Parish Church of La Concepción.
• At 19'00 Spectacular Parade of Moors and Christians, From the Plaza Elíptica, Gran Vía to the Plaza del Arco.
• At the end of the Parade, firework spectacle.

Wednesday 5

• At 8'00 Holy Mass at the Parish Church of La Concepción.
• At 9'00 Cruz de Impedidos.
• At 18'00 Final procession from the Parish Church of el Salvador to the Sanctuary.
• Then, from the Castle's enclosure, Blessing of the city and its fields.
• At 24'00 Final Firework and end of the festivities.

Sunday 9

• At 13'00 Mass at the cemetery. In memory of members of the Brotherhood, Moorish and Christian Groups and Wine Horses Peñas.