Friday, January 04, 2008

Traditional torches in Elche

In Elche they illuminate the arrival of the Wise Men with torches called "atxes" made from palms.

The tradition had gone into decline but fortunately Francisco Díez Miralles was taught how to make them by his father and started creating torches fourty years ago for his daughter and a few of the families in his neighbourhood. This year he has prepared 700 and estimates that others, who have joined him in the work, will have made about 2,000.

The torches will mainly be used in the plazas Rey Jaime I and Raval where most of the people will concentrate to watch the parade of the Three Kings.

The atxes have a palm at the centre and are surrounded by easily burnt materials from the huerta tied together with esparto grass..

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