October 9th, 2023
This October we celebrate one of the most important festivities in the Valencian community. Although Valencia is best known for the Fallas, the truth is that we have other dates of greater importance in the calendar.
The 9th of October is one of the most important for many Valencians. This early autumn day is celebrated as the Day of the Valencian Community and commemorates the entry of Jaume I into Valencia in 1238, liberating the city from Muslim rule.
In general, it is a very emotional day, not only because it represents an important day for the Valencian people, their traditions, history and culture, but also because it is the day of lovers.
For the Valencian people, Lovers’ Day is the 9th of October and we celebrate it in a very particular way. We call this day “Sant Dionis” or what is the same, San Dionisio. On this day, for 800 years, Valencians have been showing their love by placing marzipan fruit wrapped in a handkerchief and closed with a ring to offer it to their loved one.
Although originally the fruits that were offered to King Jaume I upon his entrance to Valencia were real, they were replaced by marzipan in the 18th century. In those turbulent times, Felipe V abolished the Fueros of Valencia and banned the festival, so the bakers came up with a way to celebrate it in a sweeter way. They replaced the fruit, fireworks and timbales with marzipan figures, thus maintaining the festive spirit in the hearts of the Valencians and perpetuating it to this day.
In this week of 9th of October 2023 there are different events that it is good to take into account so as not to miss anything of this festivity. This year, the events are as follows:
Friday 6th. 7:30pm. Palau de la Música. Concert by the Valencia Orchestra.
Saturday 7th. 8pm. Plaza de los Fueros. Staging of the conquest of Valencia.
Sunday 8th. From 10am. Town Hall Square. You will be able to visit the Real Senyera. A flag with the rank of royalty and which only bows before God. That is why the flag is always lowered vertically from the balcony of the Town Hall and why its bearer always prevents it from leaning in any way.
2pm. Moors y Christian’s parade in the Market Square, María Cristina Street and Town Hall square.
Monday 9th. 12pm. Town Hall Square. Descent of the Senyera and civic procession. The procession will reach the Valencia Cathedral, then Plaza de Alfonso el Magnánimo and will end in the Town Hall square with a mascletá (firework display).
In addition to all these events, from Wednesday 4th of October until Saturday 7th, the Palau de la Generalitat can be visited and from 8pm to 12:30am. A videomapping will be also projected on its façade.
