Feast of Corpus Christi

Celebrations go back to 1355 in Valencia city. The Traslado de las Rocas takes place on Friday, in which those monumental and spectacular triumphal carriages, that are typical and exclusive to the Valencian celebration, are taken out of the house-museum where they are kept all year and are driven to the square known as Plaza de la Virgen where they are exhibited.

The Corpus Christi celebration has been held for centuries with different religious, cultural and festive events in a large number of towns and cities throughout the whole region of Valencia, and in some places with great splendour in their events and amazing processional parades. The Misteris (Mysteries) takes place on Saturday afternoon: narrations of Biblical events written between the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century and that are performed on a stage set up in the Plaza de la Virgen.

Corpus Christi Day, Sunday, at noon, after the pealing of the bells from the Miguelete Tower and the Pontifical Mass, the Cabalgata del Convite (Invitation Cavalcade), leaving from the square known as Plaza de Manises, begins. In this cavalcade curious characters parade and the dances, such as Els Cavallets (The Merry-Go-Rounds), Els Pastorets (The Shepherds) or La Magrana (The Pomegranate), are performed, the most original of all of them is the dance performed by the Moma and the Momos which symbolises the fight between the seven capital sins and virtue in which finally prevails the good.

The most expected group in this cavalcade the characters by the public is that of the Degolla (Throat-cutting) which symbolises Herod's guard fulfilling the mission to "execute" the innocents. These characters, wearing black masks and carrying a plastic stick and a sack full of sweets embark on it with "blows" to the people while throwing sweeties into the air, to which the public responds by throwing bowls of water at them from the windows, in the popular banyà (bath), which is spectacular as it passes through the streets of Cabillers and Avellanas.

Late in the afternoon the bells of the Miguelete announce the Solemn Procession that at 7pm sets off from the Apostles' Door of the Cathedral. In it numerous characters from the Old and the New Testament travel round the old quarter of the city in a colourful and imaginative parade and they accompany the monumental custodia from the Cathedral of Valencia.