MOROS i CRISTIANS 2022 | An explosion of noise and colour returns to the port

Thursday 30th June 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: press release – Junta de Festes Moros i Cristians

From July 16th to 24th, Xàbia will once again surrender to the Moorish and Christian troops after two years of silence. The music, the parades, the color, the majesty, the parades and the reminder of local history return with a programme that includes a few novelties and that will celebrate the figure of the Moorish and Christian Standard Bearers on the 25th anniversary of the creation of this position which has become so rooted and important to the party.

The presentation of the official Fiesta Book kicks off the countdown to the start of these magical days, a fiesta that offers an outstanding tourist attraction for the municipality. Over the next few days, banners will be raised in the main avenues and lights suspended across them, colourful displays that will be switched on during the presentation evening on Saturday 16th July.

The president of the Junta de Festes, Rubén Femenia, made a short speech during the book presentation, accompanied by the two standard bearers, Lucía Llidó and Carla Llidó, the captains of Filá Ballesters, Florenco Mata and Rosa Catalá, and mayor José Cholbi and fiesta councillor Kika Mata.

Femenia explained that this year will see a special commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Standard Bearers – one for the Moors and one for the Christians – with Xàbia being one of the first towns to grant a leading role to women. The fiesta book reviews all the representatives of both sides since Mari García Barragan and Montse Caballero Sánchez inaugurated the roles in 1999. All of the previous Standard Bearers have been invited to participate in a tribute during the Fiesta Presentation on Saturday 16th July and also during the Flower Offering on Wednesday 20th July.

The programme includes the traditional Fiesta Music Concert by CAM Xàbia on Sunday 17th July, a parade of the Muslim and Christian troops along the Arenal promenade on Monday 18th July, a parade through the historic centre culminating in an offering of flowers to the image of the fiesta patron Sant Jaume on Tuesday 19th July, the main flower offering in the port church on Wednesday 20th July, the symbolic landing of the Muslim troops on Thursday 21st July, the reconquest by Christian troops on Friday 22nd July, with the programme concluding with the two popular gala parades on Saturday 23rd July and Sunday 24th July. On Monday 25th July, there will be a mass dedicated to Sant Jaume, followed by a procession to the chapel in the Residencia-Asilo Hermanos Cholbi.

There are also concerts, discos, informal parades with xaranga bands, children’s water games and a paella competition.

See banner below for link to the full programme.