The main festivity of Vitoria is carried out in honor to the White Virgin of the Snow or “Andra Mari Zuria”(her basque name), patron saint of the city. Celedon’s multitudinous descent from the Tower of San Miguel up to the Plaza of the White Virgin, marks the beginning of 6 joyful days with a large range of acts, activities and music for all kind of tastes.Religious acts, music, fireworks, concerts, sport and bulls have content in a tight program for all the tastes and ages from 4 till August 9.

The celebration of feasts in honor of this virgin goes back to very distant times, before she is declared a patron saint of the city. Until 1883 there were carried out a few acts that, under the denomination of ” Festival of Vitoria “, were developing during the first week of September. From 1884 they happened to be celebrated in August, after a municipal agreement in which was decided that the fiestas they it were, already of official form, in honor of the White Virgin, known also as Our Lady of the Snow, and which festivity would turn out to be concentrated on the liturgical calendar On August 5. It will be in 1953 when the municipal Corporation establishes the festive calendar as it is known nowadays. The citizenship turns out to be very important in this celebration, the locals enjoy and take part actively in the celebration, and are good hosts and guides for those that want to know their city in these days.

THE BLUSA’S DAY

July 25. Preamble of the celebration

The day of Santiago, in Vitoria garlics are sold, in “strings” or bunches with, typically, 50 heads. In the above mentioned day there are sold practically all the garlics that are consumed in the city (200.000 inhabitants) all the year round. The “blusas”" are an essential figure of the festivity: groups of friends who were meeting to go together to the bullfights.

To avoid to get dirty, they began to use typical blouses that the workers were using.  Later the clothes became more basque to do it to similarity of the farmers and Basque shepherds: Basque beret (practically in disuse), white shirt, “blouse”, scarf red or blue around the neck (that was in use for avoiding this way for sweating the neck of the shirt), fastened trousers with a strip, and “sandals” - a few shoes of thick leather, which stick with strings to the leg-. The blusas celebrate in the above mentioned day a ” race of donkeys “.

CELEDON’s DESCENT

August 4. Begining of the big festivity

After the proclamation that is given on August 2, August 4 at 6 p.m. it gives the official beginning to the celebration in the square of the White Virgin, placed in the heart of the city, thousands of locals and visitors meet (in a way similar to the powerful “txupinazo” in Pamplona, though much more multitudinous) to give beginning to the celebration with Celedon’s descent, a doll that represents a former villager native of Alava and that crosses the square across a system of pulleys. After going down ” celedon’s doll ” from the belfry of the tower of San Miguel up to a balcony in the square of the White Virgin, this one is replaced by one ” celedon in meat and bone ” (for many years the popular Iñaki Landa) the one who crosses as he can the crammed square), odyssey escorted by municipal policemen, up to the balcony of the Church of San Miguel and directs the locals, who sing continuously the song: ” Celedon, has done a new house, Celedon, with window and balcony “.

Until a few years ago it was normal that the whole world was igniting a big cigar , even the women. It was fascinating to see overfly over the people a cloud of bluish smoke proceeding from 30000 cigars or more that were ignited at the same time… Now the customs have changed and, for a few years, which is done is to uncork bottles of Champaign and to spray to everything that one who is nearby… Those who do not want to be dipped by the champaign choose to place in the back part of the square and in the square of the General Loma and adjacent streets.

Later and on having come to the balconada of the Church of San Miguel the traditional aurresku is danced and already after speaking they can be heard traditional and awaited: Gora Gasteiz!, Gora Celedón! … answering the people with a Gora! Also cigars are ignited and there are uncorked thousands of bottles of champaign. The young men ask for water in the adjacent streets to the square and lately they bath in central fountains. This way the celebration begin. The squads of blouses are protagonists of these festivity, groups of locals (both men and women) that dressed with the typical suits organize and lead numerous activities and fill of good humor these days.

The festive program of 2009 will not have the presence of the matches of professional “pelota” , due to the problems in Mendizorroza’s fronton. Nevertheless, a tournament will be realized for fans of the Basque ball in the Fueros Square. With everything, these will be one very complete fiestas, which will guarantee entertainment to all the presents.

EVE AND THE WHITE ONE’S DAY

August 4 and 5. Honoring to the Virgin of the Snow

First it is necessary to emphasize that all the religious acts in which the public take part massively and which develop in the festivities of the White one are organized by the Confraternity of Our Lady of the White Virgin. The acceptance for the locals of the devotion to the White Virgin motivated the creation of this Confraternity and the introduction of the diverse worships and celebrations. This devotion they took their Virgin to the organization of the Rosaries in procession.

The procession of the Rosario of Lanterns as we know it today, it has his origin in the final years of the 19th century. It is a solemn spectacle of light and crystal that crosses the central streets of Vitoria from ten o’clock in the night of August 4. The first news of the procession is from the year 1855, when they were carrying Chinese lanterns of carton and wax. The initiative of its construction owes to itself D. Manuel Diaz de Arcaya who in 1895 proposed a ” Rosary of Lanterns ” to give major brilliance to the modest procession that was celebrated on eve in honor of the White Virgin.

The first year in which there went out the lanterns of glass and metal was a 1896. That August, 1896 they walked along Vitoria, in quiet religious march, sixty lanterns transported by soldiers of Infantry and 6 coaches that represent the Joyful Mysteries and the first one of the Painful ones. The procession went out for the complete one in 1897, now 110 years ago. It consisted of 248 lanterns and 19 coaches to that later 1 coach was added and more recently 2 new lanterns, with which there are completed 270 elements that can be admired nowadays. Recently, before the deterioration of good part of the individual lanterns and the representative coaches of each one of 15 mysteries of the Rosario, there has finished the costly task of the restoration.

The Rosary of the Dawn that, at least from the 17th century, continues its original tour for the streets of the old hull of the population at about 7 a.m. of every August 5, a rosary that crosses the streets of Vitoria and that ends in a Mass outdoors. The faithful walk slow along the medieval streets while the monotonous singing of the Rosario resounds, to the unison. The procession is presided by a small image of the Virgin carried by proud blouses. In spite of the untimely of the hour it is a multitudinous act, at which many families and night owls are present.

Later they begin the day having the traditional hot chocolate with fritters for breakfast. Later, at 9:00, there are reveilles in the square of The White Virgin, where the BLusas re-join with their respective squads. Throughout the day the people or groups of people do floral offerings to the White Virgin, placed close to the image of the Virgin at San Miguél’s church. The 5th probably is the day with more environment, especially in the morning, since the people do not work, and there are many activities programmed both diurnal and night.

The Rosary of the Dawn in a beginning, was organized by the Town hall, later by the Parish of San Miguel and at present by the Confraternity of Our Lady the White Virgin. With the passage of time the organizers have observed how the number of assistants was increased, in an almost amazing way. At the beginning of the 50s, only several hundreds of persons realized the tour. The parson Jose M ª Fernandez de Retana was in the habit of counting with his rosary the participants. One year exploded of pleasure when he completed four rounds: 240 assistants. Nowadays, more than 25.000 citizens accompany the Virgin in her early riser to peregrinate. It doesn’t mather nobody the weariness after the first night of celebration, nobody repairer complains of the hours stolen from the dream.

THE WHITE ONE AND THE MUSIC

Music and concerts for all the tastes

Different spectacles, concerts and verbenas are organized for all the tastes in several stages spread by the city. Orchestas and txarangas circulate twenty-four hours of the day, specially in the zone of the Old Hull, neuralgic center of the amusement.

This is the list of musical activities:

FUEROS’ SQUARE, 24.00h
August 4 La Oreja de Van Gogh
August 5 Gu Gira kantaldia
August 6 Emepetres y La Excepción
August 7 Tequila
August 8 Celtas Cortos

MACHETE’S SQUARE, 24.00h
August 4 Rafa Rueda
August 5 Kerobia
August 6 Zura
August 7 Bertso Jazz
August 8 Gatibu

ESPAÑA’S SQUARE, 24.30h
August 4 Tropical Show
August 5 La Habana
August 6 La Mundial Show
August 7 Abba Revival
August 8 Volcan
August 9 23.00h Costa de Valencia

SQUARE OF THE PROVINCIA, 23.00h
August 4 Espectáculo de danza oriental con el grupo Yala Bina Muniqueneith y el espectáculo ‘Alma Femina’
August 5 Espectáculo de folklore bieloruso con el grupoTakalaka
August 6 Espectáculo de música y danza con el Ballet Identidad de Perú
August 7 Revista de variedades con Luis Aguilé
August 8 Boleros, habaneras y música latina con el grupo Arciel
August 9 Concierto de gospel con el grupo Gospel Soul

TXOSNAS University area
August 4 24.00h Cobra02.00h Kaotiko
August 5 24.00h The Kluba 02.00h Dr Ring Ding 03.00h Revolutionary Brothers
August  6 24.00h Willis Drumond 02.00h Sexty Sexers 03.00h Sharon Stoner
August 7 24.00h Indarrap 02.00h Ekon 03.00h Dejota DJ + Fiesta de la espuma
August 8 01.00h Insershow
August 9 01.00h Gatillazo 03.00h Vómito

MUSIC BANDS
Jardín Secreto del Agua. Parque de la Florida 12.00h
August 5 Banda de música de la Ertzaintza
August 6 Banda de música de la Ertzaintza
August 7 Banda de música de Marrate de Labastida
August 8 Banda de música de Elciego
August 9 Banda de música de Araia

THE WHITE VIRGIN’S BULL FAIR

Bullring of Vitoria

In the bullfighting Cartel of the festivity we can emphasize the doublets of El Juli and Perera, which will fight together in the evening, and the presences of the rejoneador Paul Hermoso of Mendoza and matadors as Enrique Ponce, Morante de la Puebla, El Cid, Sebastián Castella, José María Manzanares, Alejandro Talavante and Daniel Luque  - these two last ones appear in Vitoria for the first time-, among some other one. Regarding the  livestock farmers, the presences are also of the first level with Victoriano del Río, Fuente Ymbro, El Pilar and Puerto de San Lorenzo.

The bullfighting Cartel:

• 25 July:  Blusa’s day. Bulls from Antonio Bañuelos to El Cordobés, Rivera Ordóñez and El Fandi.
• 5 August: Bulls from Fuente Ymbro to El Juli, El Cid and Miguel Ángel Perera.
• 6 August: Bulls from El Pilar toJuan Bautista, Alejandro Talavante and Daniel Luque.
• 7 August: Bulls from Murube to Fermín Bohórquez, Hermoso de Mendoza and Álvaro Montes.
• 8 August: Bulls from Puerto de San Lorenzo to Enrique Ponce, Sebastián Castella and Miguel Ángel Perera.
• 9 August: Bulls from Victoriano del Río to Morante de la Puebla, El Juli and José María Manzanares.

OTHER FESTIVE ACTS

Multitude of festive acts, street markets and huts, attractions of fair, bullfights in the evenings, fireworks and fire bulls and in the morning heifers, all those acts fill with happiness the program. Also cultural activities of the Basque Country are promoted, with sports as  championships of Basque ball, and concerts of trikitixa and championships of bertsolaris. Every morning the brass bands cross the streets of Vitoria to wake the sleepiest up, with better will that effect, since to the good sleepy-head there is no brass band that can wake them up … and to the good reveller who has not slept either.

On the 7th there is celebrated the Celedón Txiki, a recreation of Celedón’s descent, by the children as protagonists, the fiestas has activities thought for them during all. For their part, on August 8 it is dedicated to the veteran blusa, and the streets are invaded of nostalgic of the third age dressed with blusones of squads of the 60s. And finally August 9 is a traditionally so called day of the pig, in that the squads in the passacaglias, were parading daubed of flour, though nowadays this this tradition declining as the squads they go being regenerated of new sap. And this night of August 9 the locals go regretfully to say goodbye to Celedón, who at twelve o’clock in the night will rise again to the belfry. During this distance they all untie the scarf and dismiss to the symbol of the festivity.

These are the most out-standing acts:

The VIIth INTERNATIONAL CONTEST OF PYROTECHNIC SPECTACLES

Every day at 23.00h from Mendizabala

Last day 9th Augus at 1.00h on the Withe Virgin square Final firecrackers

JOTAS (Regional spanish songs)

Everyday at  Conde de Peñaflorida’ square 18.00h

BERTSOLARIAK (Basque songs)

Everyday at Machete’s square 13.30h

FOLKLORE

Everyday at Machete’s square 13.30h

TRIKITIXA (Basque music)

Everyday at Machete’s square 12.30h