Do you fancy swapping your usual sangria-and-sun lounger holiday for something a bit more, well, unusual? Welcome to Spain’s strangest summer festival.
Then head to the small Galician town of As Neves, Pontevedra, at the end of July, where they throw a festival that is equal parts fascinating as it is bizarre.
Every 29th July, the locals celebrate the Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme, better known as Spain’s festival of near-death experiences. Instead of fireworks or a parade of dancers, you will see people climbing into coffins and being carried through the streets in a show of thanks to Saint Martha, the patron saint of resurrection.
The tradition has been going on since the 1700s.
The day kicks off with a midday mass, and then the fun begins. At the head of the procession is a statue of Santa Marta, carried by locals, followed closely by those who have had an almost brush with death in the past year. Whether it was an illness, a traffic accident, or a stroke of rotten luck narrowly avoided, survivors repay their thanks by making the journey in coffins. Some take it further, walking barefoot or even on their knees to show their gratitude.
You will spot cadaleitos, the little coffins carried by friends and relatives, and sometimes even mini versions for children who want to join in the tradition, all while groups of “singing pilgrims” keep spirits high with hymns and chants.
Once the solemn bit’s over, the party starts. The square and bars fill with the smell of empanadas, tangy local cheese, and, if you are feeling adventurous you can a stew made from lamprey (an eel-like fish).
