CubaPLUS Magazine

The renowned Parrandas de Remedios formed the centerpiece of last night's activity, hosted by the Cubanacan hotel group for its guests on the Motivos Cubanacan FAM trip, which concludes with great success this Tuesday.

Nothing could have been better than this traditional festival, arranged exclusively for those of us fortunate enough to tour Cubanacan's offerings in the western and central regions of this destination.

As occurs every December 24th, the residents of Remedios staged their grand festival, a friendly competition between the "El Gallo" (Rooster) and "El Gavilán" (Hawk) factions.

Virtually the entire population of this beautiful town gathered in José Martí Park well into the early hours to enjoy their festival, which, as is customary, concluded with a spectacular display of fireworks.

According to history, the Parrandas tradition originated in 1820 when priest Francisco Vigil de Quiñones sought to attract parishioners to Advent masses.

Initially, groups of children roamed the town making noise with household utensils, which evolved into an organized rivalry between neighborhoods.

In 1871, a competitive format was established that persists to this day, with the San Salvador (Rooster) and El Carmen (Hawk) factions contending in a battle of creativity, lights, and pyrotechnics.

All that remains for me to say – and I dare to speak on behalf of all who participated in this Motivos Cubanacan FAM trip – is to express our gratitude for the excellent initiative of Cubanacan in enabling this journey, which we consider invaluable for promoting the destination in various markets throughout Latin America and Europe.