The Festival of Sorrows has become in recent years a benchmark of popular support for a traditional festival, which, without losing the flavour of Canarian culture, has managed to expand its borders beyond the residents of Tinajo and Lanzarote, becoming the most popular festival on the island. Events such as the "Nanino Festival", "The Regional Craft Fair", "Performances by Great Artists", "The Pilgrimage", etc. They have culminated with the consecration of these festivities and proclaimed the 15th of September as an island holiday, confirming that the Festival of Los Dolores is the benchmark for popular festivals on the island."
Learn all about this holiday: the Miracle of Our Lady of Sorrows; the stories of how the town was miraculously saved from the rivers of lava. The tradition of the Pilgrimage of Sorrows. The Nanino Festival, which every year brings together local and regional folklore performances by the best folklore groups in Lanzarote. Finally, do not hesitate to consult the festive programme of all the religious and popular events that you can enjoy in our municipality.
ENCUENTRO FOLCLÓRICO NANINO DÍAZ CUTILLAS
“This folk festival is celebrated in honor of the beloved Nanino, and has become one of the most popular and anticipated events in the festival of Los Dolores.
On the same stage, different representations from each of the islands offer us their songs, dances, costumes under the patronage of Cutillas, where each group enthusiastically strives to contribute the new and old of its rich repertoire.
We should not limit ourselves to observing and enjoying this living example of tradition, but participate in it, live it and transmit it to future generations…”
Fernando Díaz Cutillas, a simple, sensitive man, committed to his Canarian people, came into the world on January 29, 1937, in the family home on Calle Torre, in the Triana neighborhood of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He worked in different radio stations, broadcasting sporting events, especially the matches of the Unión Deportiva Las Palmas… On television he did everything: general information, sports, programs… But without a doubt his most important work was the program Tenderete, this television space of Spanish television in the Canary Islands that produced a favorable response with absolute unanimity throughout the Canarian people. His commitment to the people and to the cultural values of our people made him, without intending it, the most beloved communicator of our land. His sudden death on December 27, 1988 left us all as if we were missing someone close, someone from the family.
MANCHA BLANCA ISLAND HANDICRAFT FAIR
The Mancha Blanca Island Craft Fair has become a cultural reference and a must for those who decide to come to the Festival of Our Lady of the Volcanoes. Taking advantage of this Festival and the incomparable setting where the festive activities take place, the most important Craft Fair in Lanzarote is held.
This event brings together artisans from all over the Archipelago on the Island and is consolidated year after year as one of the most important in the Canary Islands in terms of the promotion of typical products.
MIRACLE OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS DOLORES
Of the volcanic eruptions in Lanzarote, the one that had the greatest impact on its inhabitants was the one that took place between 1730 and 1736, which covered a large part of the island.
The best-known manuscript of what happened at that time is the testimony of the Parish Priest of Yaiza, Don Andrés Lorenzo Curbelo, who recounted the events from the beginning of the eruptions until the population of the area emigrated between 1731 and 1732 due to the threat posed by the continuous volcanic processes that occurred.
“On September 1, 1730, between nine and ten at night, the earth suddenly opened up near Timanfaya, two leagues from Yaiza. On the first night, an enormous mountain rose from the earth's core and flames escaped from its apex, which continued to burn for nineteen days. A few days later a new abyss was formed and a torrent of lava fell on Timanfaya, on Rodeos and on a part of Mancha Blanca…” The text continues with the narration of what happened. It is during these eruptions that THE MIRACLE of Our “Lady of Sorrows” takes place.
A Franciscan “the Guardian Father” had finished giving missions in Tinajo who asked in his sermons that the town should take refuge under the protection of the Virgin of Sorrows whose feast had just been granted by Pope Clement XII to Spain in 1735 to be celebrated for the first time on September 15 of the following year. The town in those bitter days, watched in terror as the arms of lava approached Tinajo threateningly, endangering the lives of its inhabitants.
It was Father Guardian who, at the beginning of April 1736, called for a procession to go to Mancha Blanca. They carried a picture of Our Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, which was in the church of San Roque.
In the Holy Procession they reached the Guiguan mountain, where, after prayers and supplications, they promised the Virgin to build her a hermitage if she stopped the fiery rivers of lava that threatened to bury the town of Tinajo. Even at the cost of losing his life, one of the men went as far as he could and planted a cross of tea at the edge of the river of lava. Meanwhile, the rest of the villagers continued to pray to the Virgin for compassion for the disaster that was coming upon them.
The lava continued on its way, when suddenly, at the foot of the Cross that the daring devotee had planted, the lava stopped. With the cry of “Miracle, Miracle” the people celebrated that the Virgin heard their prayers and removed the danger. Time passed and the neighbors, already accustomed to the new situation of tranquility that they lived, forgot the difficult days that they lived and of course “the promise”.
Years later when the shepherdess Juana Rafaela, daughter of Juan Antonio Acosta and Rita Umpiérrez, a humble family of goatherds, was taking care of the cattle on the Guiguan mountain, a lady dressed in black approached her and asked the girl to remind the elders of the promise they had made some time ago; that of building a hermitage. When Juana Rafaela told what had happened at home, her parents did not believe her, taking the girl’s story as a joke, even scolding them for inventing such gruesome stories.
The lady in black appeared to the girl again on another day of shepherding and repeated the message to her. She told her that she had told it at home but that her parents had scolded her and did not believe her. The Virgin put her hand on Juana Rafaela's back and told her "go now they will believe you." On this occasion, astonished, they had no choice but to believe the girl's words.
The shepherdess, who was nine years old and did not know any saints, could not confirm who the lady who approached her on that mountain was. The religious authorities of that time carried out all kinds of tests to verify the veracity of the story. They took her to Teguise and showed her images of all the saints they had available; when they showed the girl the image of "Our Lady of Sorrows" she turned pale and became dejected and instantly recognized the figure of that sad lady in a black cape. That was how the people of the town rushed to build the hermitage that they had promised to the Virgin of Sorrows.
This legend remains alive among the people of Lanzarote since those first days of April 1736 until today, with a fervent devotion to the one who is, by popular desire, our Patron Saint, “Nuestra Señora de los Dolores or Virgin of the Volcanoes”.
PILGRIMAGE OF LOS DOLORES
“Walkers and visitors in general join the pilgrimage from all points of the island and the rest of the archipelago in a festive and emblematic manifestation of Canarian culture.
We should not limit ourselves to observing and enjoying this living example of tradition, but rather participate in it, live it and transmit it to future generations…”
The Festival of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores is celebrated every 15th of September with deep devotion, joy and respect, with devotees arriving at the Mancha Blanca hermitage from all over the island and the rest of the archipelago.
The pilgrimage is one of the main events of the festival, which has been celebrated for years and has become one of the most fervent and popular pilgrimages in the Canary Islands. With this gesture, the people of Lanzarote want to continue to thank Our Lady of Sorrows for the Miracle; "Stopping the mantle of lava that threateningly loomed over the towns of Mancha Blanca and Tinajo. Her presence in April 1736 was enough for the lava to suddenly recede at the feet of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, due to previous flows, until it stopped definitively." Nuestra Señora de los Dolores then earned the nickname of Virgin of the Volcanoes.
People leave early in the morning from many points on the island, with their mothers, fathers, children, siblings, friends, guitars and timples to gather around Tinajo around midday.
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In the shade of any souk, palm tree or fig tree they take the opportunity to rest, drink some enyesques with a good drink of local wine and tune their throats; at about four in the afternoon near the Church of San Roque, the pilgrimage sets out with its carts pulled by donkeys and camels, to the rhythm of the various traditional instruments, mixed with popular songs and cries of the most Chinijos in an explosion of joy and participation, to reach at about nine in the evening the hermitage of Mancha Blanca, where we meet the Virgin, where the parishioners meet the Virgin leaving at her feet the humble offerings that they have brought with so much love.
