Virgen del Carmen

Befinner man seg i en by eller landsby langs kysten i Spania 16. juli er sjansen stor for at man plutselig vil støte på feiringer, fyrverkeri eller opptog, både til vanns og til lands, og selv i de mer søvnige turiststedene tar lokalbefolkningen seg en skikkelig fest. Det er fordi 16. juli  er dagen de hvert år feirer Virgen del Carmen, fiskernes og sjøfarernes høye beskytter.

I Estepona, der jeg holder til med familien i sommerferien, er jomfru Carmen også byens skytshelgen, men hun feires også grundig i en rekke andre byer i Andalucia, Valencia og langs kysten ellers. Turist-nettstedet Andalucia skriver i sin lille guide til det som foregår denne dagen at:

"To understand why the Virgen del Carmen should be held so dear to the inhabitants of towns such as Estepona, Velez Malaga, Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Rincon de la Victoria, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Downshifting in his old age, the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmelo near Haife (Israel). Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah's footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmelo - the Virgin of Carmen. Stella Maris, as she was also known, was soon adopted by mariners and fishermen everywhere as their patron. Although long overtaken by tourism, many Costa towns still retain fishing communities and barrio pescadores (fishermans quarter) and a strong attachment to "la Reina de los Mares" (the Queen of the Seas). It was once believed - perhaps in the days before water-purifying plants! - that the Virgin cleared up the waters with her presence and that only after July 16 would the sea be fit for swimming in."