Hiruela 
Ricardo Fraile, president of the regional federation of Folklore (FEMAF) forwards this interesting information about the activities undertaken on the occasion of our parties. For more information please visit the group Arrabel:
www.arrabel.net FESTIVAL DE MADRID MAYS
6 MAY 2007 AGENDA
10.30: SQUARE
LAVAPIÉS Goya dances by the group "The CANDIL." Dance Rondón.
11.00: STREETS OF NEIGHBORHOOD
dulzaineros with musical entertainment from "ARRABEL" and "Tala"
12.00: STREETS OF FAITH, NITRATE, DOCTOR PIGA and arguments
Popular festival with donuts and wine from the Land of Madrid. Round
the Mayas and the Mayos song and the group round of the Tuna Universitaria de Madrid. 13.45
STREET OF NITRATE-STAIRWAY OF SAN LORENZO
Delivery commemorative plates and ceramics.
14.00: CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO
Offering floral
ORGANIZER:
PARTY COMMITTEE OF MAYS
(Castiza Peña "El Madroño" Cultural Association "Arrabel"
Peña "sympathy" and Group " The Racy ") WELCOMES
Since then, and now distant, first Sunday in May 1988, we recover the traditional festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring, it's been nineteen years of effort, undertaken with the hope to reaffirm the party of Los Mayos with the importance it had in the past.
Today, Los Mayos de Madrid, is one of the most lucid and lively activities in the festive calendar of our villa. The Lavapies is filled with music and color. The narrow streets around the church of San Lorenzo, barely able to accommodate the large crowds of locals and visitors who come to enjoy the many goods that lie the party.
Today as yesterday, everything desirable, if only for a few hours, swap the dark asphalt by the color of the flowers, the sound of cars by the sounds of beautiful singing Madrileños Mayos. The rush and looks sullen by the time share in the decoration of the altars of the Mayans and the taste of donuts, torrao wines and Madrid, and that the arrival of Spring in Madrid did not go unnoticed.
The Festival Committee
Los Mayos
THE FEAST OF THE MAYA-MAYS
The month of May in Madrid comes loaded with festivals, but one that stands apart and shines, as it could be otherwise, because it celebrates nothing less than the triumph of life and the explosion of color. This is the party celebrates the arrival of Spring and their ambassadors, THE MAYAN Madrid, who true to their traditional event where every year with all the attributes that spring embodies: renewed youth, beauty, fertility ...
The pagan rite of LA MAYA, Extended formerly almost all of Europe has basically been the same: to celebrate the arrival of spring immaculately dressed in a white girl, her head crowned with flowers and yielding, in his person, a tribute to the renewal of the life cycle.
THE MAYA IN THE DISTRICT OF SAN LORENZO
Around the dear old church of San Lorenzo, built on the foundations of the ancient synagogue, then lay the famous "Prado de Las Damas, covering with his flowery green cloak what are now the streets of the Faith, Salitre and arguments. It was the meadow, under the reign of Charles V, place of excursion, party and entertainment. But above all, it was rather famous because it was celebrated the Feast of the Maya, the party with which Madrid, Madrid that very few people, celebrated the arrival of spring. That day, the San Lorenzo grove filled with colorful ribbons, flowers and music. And there was wine and snacks, and danced and sang until dark.
The Maya was established as a traditional celebration in the district of San Lorenzo and around the Lavapies. But soon the custom of placed on the web a very young girl, ornate and flowery as an angel, was established around Madrid, and practiced during all the festivities of May.
Today as yesterday, the place he occupied the meadow, it remains the perfect setting to celebrate La Fiesta de Los Mayos de Madrid.
Currently, LA FIESTA DE LOS DE MADRID MAYS basically maintains the structure that was in its heyday, when he exclaimed to a classic character Quiñones de Benavente:
"Mayando any street is Madrid."
consists, in summary, placement in a flowery altar of a beautiful young girl who provides the admiration impassive popular. Meanwhile, other young people ask for it around the altar using addresses traditional request:
'Den for the Maya, who is pretty and gallant ... "
Or the more important that we read in the car," The Maya "by Lope de Vega:
"Dad, who snack on the Maya"
In any case, it has scrupulously adhered to the fabric of elements that made up the party in the seventeenth century, such as "staging" of the altar and the lad; place, around the church of San Lorenzo, the round and the singing of Mays.
D. Basilio Sebastian Castellanos was a very complete description of the festival, as celebrated in Madrid at the beginning of the nineteenth century, illustrating it with the old data that made him remember his scholarship, and other towns on Castile.
The "Maya" Madrid was a girl of fifteen, had the most beautiful in the neighborhood or street. Families compete in their choice. When designating an absolute majority, it is dressed and adorned with jewels and sumptuous garments of the wealthy families that paid for the purpose.
In a step, curd flowers, it sat, crowned with a diadem of flowers also. In his honor was held a dance, in which it proclaimed as beauty queen. In some villages the men were able to participate in this dance. There
in Madrid a time when the throne of "maya" decked suntuosísimo so, and it is remarkable that in the XV and XVI could officiate Maya alike, married and unmarried.
Since the seventeenth century only take part in the recent election, "being generally circumstances in villages that still follow the custom, which the Maya, not exceeding twenty years of age, whichever is the less years in equal Beauty and the whitest when in doubt and are equal ages, "says Castellanos. A
STATEMENT OF JOY AND A SHOW VISUAL
Once the awaited day arrived, at about seven o'clock, they begin to reach their usual places, the persons installing the altar. The task given to different groups of friends, the ten o'clock steep over quickly.
Lavapiés In the square began to hear the bagpipes Castilian, encouraging the morning. After contemplating the Madrid dance, all attendees have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional dancing rundown.
Awake and the neighborhood, the crowd growing and then travels to the narrow streets where the ambassadors await spring, THE MAYA. Predominantly
costumes "Goya" but are also different costumes Castilian of Madrid, such as leading the round, just barely, is opened through the crowd to get to the steps of the Church of San Lorenzo.
is where there is a great silence and singing to the Virgin the first May ...
Virgin generous, three things you gave us. Health
, brotherhood and peace on earth "
La Fiesta reaches its peak in the time that the round visit each altar, singing to each other Mayos The Maya Land Madrid.
altars richly adorned with flowers, colored fabrics and all kinds of embellishments, and Las Mayas, richly dressed in brocades, silks and shawls, and his companions, calling quarters "for the Maya, who is pretty and gallant", form an image that strikes the retina. Songs, bagpipes, donuts and wine from Madrid, is responsible for the other senses.
Around two o'clock in the afternoon, he made the tender flower offering to the Virgin within the church. The temple walls resound with the echoes of the bagpipes and choir voices dismiss this unique festival until next year. MAY
Villarejo de Salvanes
It's been thirty Your waist is slender
completed as of April palms
is now May and adorn your body
flower dress your fine hips
Your mouth a carnation These five fingers
adorable party ties in hand ca
your teeth are pearls are five
your lips coral lilies bloom in May. Your throat girl
we retreat now
your throat fine carnations
amazes snow and whiteness
back next year so
Regards, Ricardo Fraile
.
