The Jesus festivities kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a day marked by the revival of Ibiza’s traditions. The Colla de l’Horta was in charge of organising the fonyada de raïm, which brought together young and old in the town square to tread grapes as in the olden days and remember a process that was once part of the daily life of farming families.
This is usually the festival that kicks off the Jesús festivities,’ explained Vicent Escandell, president of this colla. «We started organising it when the square was inaugurated, with the idea of reviving traditional and children’s games. Over the years, it has grown enormously. Now we have children learning to dance, artisans teaching their crafts and, since last year, a peasant song performed by the students of the glosa course.»
Once again, the children were the stars of the Fonyada, enjoying the sensation of treading grapes and comparing it to ‘dried meat’. For many, like Laia, it is also a family affair. ‘I take part because my uncle organises it and because it’s a tradition,‘ she explained. «Many people who haven’t seen Funyada for years come back and enjoy it very much because it reminds them of doing it at home,» said Maribel.
A craft exhibition by members of the colla, who taught traditional crafts such as the making of esparto espadrilles, completed the atmosphere. «First you make the sole, then the pita cord, and finally you assemble all the pieces,» Margarita explained.
Meanwhile, the younger children enjoyed playing traditional games led by Alfredo Marí from the Jugadors dels Gegants de Santa Eulàlia group. «If we don’t do things like this, our culture will disappear in a few years,» he said. «It’s important for children to learn how people used to play and to realise that nothing was made easily; everything had a process. They learn quickly and enjoy it a lot.»
The evening ended with a ball pagès demonstration, in which both older and younger members of the colla took part. To conclude the event, the students on the glosa course performed a cantada payesa, an almost forgotten tradition that the colla is reviving. ‘We are losing more and more of our cultural identity, which is why these festivals are more important than ever. If young people see our customs and join in, all the better. That’s the way to keep our culture alive,» Escandell concluded.