FLOR DE TEJEDA ALMOND BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: 5OTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED IN STYLE

26 January 1970 marked the first ever Almond Blossom festival in Flor de Tejeda, which pioneered the commemoration in the Canaries of the flowering of almond trees, in this case the trees lining the hillsides of a town situated in very heart of Gran Canaria and considered one of the most beautiful in Spain.

This first festival did not go under its current name: members of the then Youth Club, who came up with the idea, called it PUM 70, an allegory for the explosion of pink and white colour of the flowers of the almond trees, symbols of Tejeda’s identity. Over time, the celebrations grew to acquire an importance nobody could have predicted at the start, achieving levels of popularity and impact that have led them to be designated a Festivity of National Tourism Interest.

On its biggest days (4-5 February), this year’s event attracted around 15,000 people who enjoyed an abridged version of Canarian traditions and identity on the town streets from very early in the morning. In addition to arts and craft stalls and Canarian food outlets serving up popular local dishes such as papas arrugadas, escaldón de gofio, potaje de berros, tortillas de carnaval and Tejeda’s typical almond sweets, there was music, minstrel singers, and demonstrations of Canarian wrestling, stick fighting and ‘shepherd’s leap’ vaulting.

Saturday was designated Tourist Day and featured performances by two of the best-loved and oldest groups on the Canarian music scene, Los Sabandeños and Los Gofiones, who delighted visitors with their songs.

The Almond Blossom festival celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in style and in lovely weather conditions –the sunshine meant that coats could be put away for the time being. The event is a must-see for anyone visiting Gran Canaria on the first weekend in February. A different way to get to know the customs and traditions of the Canaries in a short space of time.

Text by José María Gil

Photos by Ángela Cuervo