VISITORS might hold their ears for the annual celebration of ‘El Cristo de la Expiración’ (or ‘Cristo’, for short), which takes place in the market town of Órgiva 10 days before Semana Santa and a week before Viernes Santo (Good Friday). Not for the nervous of disposition, the event is famed for its noisy bangers (‘cohetes’) that are detonated in the town’s main street at noon on the Thursday and 6pm on the Friday, every year.
The celebration centers around a statue of Christ – ‘El Cristo de la Expiración’ – which is housed in the Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Expectación (Parish Church of Our Lady of Expectation) in Orgiva. The statue depicts Christ on the cross and is venerated by local people.
During the event, the statue is taken from his ‘dressing room’ in the 16th century church and moved to the altar. This is called ‘la baja’ (the taking down). It always occurs at noon on the Thursday, and is accompanied by La Alpujarra’s loudest display of bangers in the street directly outside. This year, TV channel, Canal Sur, was broadcasting the proceedings live from within the church.
The next day – Friday – Christ is carried through the streets of Orgiva in a solemn procession with religious hymns and prayers. The procession is a spiritual and emotional experience for some residents. After it has finished, the town’s bars are characteristically full.
However, to the disappointment of ‘los jóvenes’ (youth) this year, the usual ‘columpios’ (fairground rides) are absent from the event. While some residents cite a ‘no attractions’ policy to focus people on the religious element of Cristo, others maintain that the fairground ride operators staged a walkout. This was reportedly because their usual site, in the town’s largest car park, had been relocated to a smaller and less favourable position that would curb demand. It is unlikely, in reality, that the cause was “religion not rides”.
If attending Cristo, be sure to arrive in good time – to find a parking place and catch the bangers from a favourable viewpoint. Depending on the sensitivity of your eardrums, this could be close to the action, or from a slightly distant bar.