FIESTA DE SAN SEBASTIAN
A GREAT TRADITION OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO IN THE FIESTA DE SAN SEBASTIAN
CABEZUDOS MASKS
and others important characters of "La Comparsa" of Rhode Island
Father Juan Madrazo, Spaniard priest of San Jose Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico brough the idea to celebrate Patron saints "Fiesta Patronales" in San Juan. He traveled to spain and brought Big Heads ("Cabezudos") for the procession and festival. The festival with music, traditional dances and a procession leaded by the "Cabezudos" walking a long the San Sebastian Street, and finish in front of the Mayor house. The community help to organize it with the parracol an they are the responsible to clean up the street after the festival.
The festival have its origin in the mid 20th century, when a Spaniard priest Juan Madrazo, of the San Jose Church in San Juan, decided to start festivities similar to other ones celebration in Spain. He decided to make the patron saints (“Fiestas Patronales”). Just other part of celebration in the other towns of Puerto Rico. With that idea, Father Madrazo traveled to Spain where he saw some “cabezudos” (Big heads) and decided to bring some to his festival and procession. Father Madrazo did the festival five years. The festival done when he was re-signed to other church out of San Juan.
By 1970, a local San Juan resident, Doña Rafaela Balladares, decided to rescue the festival. She call for volunteers from her neighbors, and had some new “cabezudos” with the charactheristic of local people of San Juan. Today the Festival has forty three years and all Puerto Rico celebrate LAS FIESTAS DE SAN SEBASTIAN, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
LAS FIESTA DE SAN SEBASTIAN take place every January 20, celebrating the Saints patron San Sebastián in the Capital, accompany by "Panderetas de Plena". San Sebastian is the saints of the Puerto Rico town with the same name. San Juan and San Sebastián towns celebrate the saints at the same time.
This exhibit "LA FIESTA DE SAN SEBASTIAN" will be a part of The Fabric of Our Community (a multicultural community based exhibit) of the University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence, Campus. Featuring stories, images and artwork by people from all walks of life from around the world.
September 3-27
Gallery Nigh Reception
September 19, 2013, 5-9pm
with music and a gallery talk
SPONSORED BY:
