Fernando, at 82, continues to enjoy a party that he has been attending for “as long as he can remember,” he recalls. He no longer does it only out of faith, but also; before speaking to FARO he had deposited his offering in the chapel, which this year was a wax figure in the shape of a woman’s body, because his partner suffers from breast cancer. “As soon as I can, I will go to the chapel and see the people who are there. I come every year to thank San Roquiño“He says of the saint, confidently, as the companion who has “protected him throughout his life.”
He no longer considers it just a liturgical festival, but “a tradition”. “Before, the crowd would come to Avenida de Madrid,” he describes, while recounting that his passion led him to set up a tavern during the pilgrimage years ago.
He is not the only one who expresses his love for the saint, but also for the customs. Angel, from Carpas Pontevedra, points out that his company has been selling food at the pilgrimage for half a century.“We are the third generation,” explains the chef, who remembers filling the tables about four times on the big day. Sardines are the star dish among the faithful of San Roque. “Before, that was the only thing we sold, now we also have churrasco or octopus,” he explains while showing the 1,500 kilos of the main fish that they have prepared.
This is not the only change that attendees recognize in the celebration.The mass and the music is our favorite partthen Galician groups come playing the bagpipes and it is beautiful,” explain Agustín, Ana and Paco, who remain seated in the shade, protected from the 30 degrees reached today.
Making movements with his cane, Agustín says he has been attending the pilgrimage for more than 50 years.but “there used to be more bands, now there are only groups”, is perhaps the complaint she has about this celebration, “tradition is with the bands”, she explains. “We have evolved into a San Roque for everyone”, adds Ana Caride, president of the Hermandad Devotos de San Roque Vigo. She has been organizing the event since 2019 and, like the rest, she took her position out of “love for tradition”.
A party for all tastes
She responds to the complaints of some, who like Agustín, prefer the music of before. “We try to put a little bit of everythinggroups for people who like music from the 80s, bands for older people, we mix things up, so that there is something for everyone every day,” argues the president, who admits having achieved changes in the profiles of attendees.
Among the elderly audience, the youngest ones could be seen running around the square. “We have been coming here for 5 years and We always brought the children“We are very happy to be part of the festival,” explains Sandra, from Valladolid and mother of Darío, 5, and Lois, 3. “What they like most are the attractions.” They are not the only tourists who visit the pilgrimage: Bianca, Ruth and Renis are young women from the Philippines who came across the festival while walking the Camino de Santiago. “We were pleasantly surprised,” exclaim the women, for whom “the best thing is the food.”
Nacional 81 was the group in charge of livening up the vermouth. “We look for songs so that the public can sing along with us.” For one of its members, David Lorenzo, these festivities mean a lot, “talking about them is mixing religion and tradition,” is how the Murcian sums up the event in honour of one of Vigo’s most beloved saints.
Everyone expects more affluence for San Roque’s daywhich will begin on Friday morning with masses every hour until noon.
