Do you know any of the most popular canary traditions?
The Canary Islands do not receive the name of Lucky Islands by chance. The Islands are an idyllic place to relax, get away of routine and also to submerge in different canary traditions and costumes with a strong cultural identity.
It is probably that the main known tradition would be Carnivals, festivity that every year become more popular in the whole archipelago. Moreover, something particular of the Canary Islands is the variety of festivities because every island has its own traditional festivity.
Through traditions the visitors could know about history and culture. Also, during local festivities take place the Romerías in which we could see the locals with the traditional costumes and playing the typical instruments of the Canary Islands like timple, chácaras or tambores (drums), singing and dancing the typical songs: seguidillas, polcas, isas o folias.
The Canary musical repertoire has wide range and nowadays are differents Canary artist who show our music beyond our borders. For example: Benito Cabrera or Domingo “El Colorado”. It is important to say that the instruments like timple, chácaras and tambores are hand made by artisans that try always to do unique pieces.
And cannot be music without dance and in the Canary Islands nothing less could be expected. Some of the folklore groups are accompanied by a dance group who dance the typical song of every island. Additionally, they wear the traditional costumes and show the untamed splendored during the dancing. It gives a greater added value to the show.
Canary traditions of our ancestors.
Foto: www.somoscanarias.com
The canary traditions are not only parties. There are other traditions deeply-rooted in the islands like the language. And we are nos just talking about any language, we are talking about silbo gomero (the Gomera Whistle language). Since ancient times, the inhabitants of La Gomera, due to the craggy land of the island, learned to communicate through whistles. The whistles reproduce the sound of the spoken language. Nowadays, this language has become World Cultural Heritage.
Another tradition to remarkable is the traditional sports. The islands have a significative variety of native sports like:
Photo: gevic.net
Juego del palo (game of the stick): this activity comes from the natives of the Canary Islands. It is the evolution of wartime activities. It is a game that requires consummate skill and balance, as well as agility in arms and legs.
Salto del pastor (Shepherd’s leap): the topography of the western islands promoted that the inhabitants of the rural places developed a technique to overcome obstacles and go across the cliffs and ravines of the islands. On this way appear the shepherd’s leap. It is done with a long stick in which tip is put a metallic tip. With the help of this stick they do leaps to cross from one side of the ravine or dicht to the other.
Lucha Canaria (the Canary fight): with any doubt, it is today the most played indigenous sport. The fight is between two fighters in a circular field (terrero) of sand where they try to take down the other using different techniques like wrestling and counter manoeuvres called tricks or mañas. These techniques mix strength and ability.
As we could see, the Canary traditions and culture have lot of to show and offer to the visitors. If you want to know more about canary traditions, check our Facebook and discover lot of curiosities of the Archipelago.
Nowadays, the traditions are root to the population and they celebrate their local festivities feeling and reawakening the ancient traditions. If you visit the islands, immerse yourself in the traditions, know their culture, their gastonomy and their people. As Henry Miller said “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”.
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