Xàbia Suspends Sant Sebastià Festivities During National Mourning
Only the solemn mass will go ahead as a tribute to the victims of the Adamuz train tragedy.
Xàbia Council has announced the suspension of all events scheduled as part of the festivities in honour of Sant Sebastià, the town’s patron saint, on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd. The decision follows the declaration of three days of official mourning in Spain after the tragic train accident in Adamuz, Córdoba.
The measure was adopted after the national government formally decreed the period of mourning for the victims of the disaster. Despite the general suspension of the festive programme, the council has confirmed that the despertà, the parade and the pilgrimage scheduled for today Tuesday, the feast day itself, will not take place but that the solemn mass will still be held as planned, as an act of tribute and remembrance for those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. In addition, the two bullrunning sessions planned for Wednesday and Thursday evenings will not take place.
In this context, the Sant Sebastià Fiesta Committee released a statement on social media this morning expressing its solidarity with those affected by the tragedy. In the message, the organisers said that on what should have been a very special day for the town, events in Adamuz had inevitably taken precedence. They conveyed their thoughts and condolences to the victims, those injured and hospitalised, as well as to their families and friends, and announced that they were joining the national period of mourning by pausing celebrations in honour of the patron saint until Friday.
The committee also noted that, although the streets of the historic town centre would not be filled with festivities on Sant Sebastià’s day, prayers would be offered for the victims during the solemn Eucharist to be held at 7.00pm at the church of San Bartolomé. Residents were encouraged to attend as a sign of unity and solidarity.
