CORPUS CHRISTI  IN CUENCA

This is a religious and popular celebration of the Body of Christ. A week after the Catholic calendar’s Pentecost, Cuenca lives seven days of exaltation. The so-called ‘Septenario’ is a blend of joy, religious processions, traditional pastries, town bands and the explosive fireworks that close each day of celebrations during Corpus Christi.

The festivities take place at the Calderon Park; all around the two cathedrals, bakers and patissiers cover stalls with colorful sweets. The most traditional part of this celebration is the sampling of different types of “Corpus Sweets” including all kinds of traditional homemade sweets like “quesitos” (cheese), arepas, faldiquera eggs, merengue, relámpagos (lightning) and cocadas (coconut candies) and innumerable sugary treats that sweeten their visitors.

Each day a different person called “prioste” (or party organizer)  is responsible for all the expenses of the festivities, including typical bands, popular games, raffles, roulette and the most anticipated thing of the night:  the  fireworks, wood  and paper sculptures to be burned under the night sky like “Castillos” (castles), vacas locas (mad cows) , paper balloons, etc.

So, for one week every year, those who visit Cuenca can experience the (literal) explosion of popular traditions that accompany the liturgy. It is the best excuse to visit Cuenca!

To know more about Cuenca you can take a city tour!