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Local Celebrations

 CANGAS

Cristo – last Sunday of August

	San Blas, at the beginning of February.
	Santa Marta, at the last Saturday of Juiy
	San Roque, 3rd week of August
	Darbo,8th September
	San Pedro, 29th June

	Espiriut Santo: variable day in June
	Santo Domingo, 3rd August
	San Salvador, 6th and 7th August
	San Cosme, 26th September .

	San Amaro, 15th January
	Santa Mariña, 18th July
	Carmen, last weekend of Julio.

	Cristo da Luz, first Sunday of July
	Santiago de Donón, 25th July
	San Lorenzo, 10th August
	San Andrés, 30th November

Gastronomical Celebrations

	Festa do Muiño (Coiro), fist Sunday of May
	Fiesta del Aguardiente (Hío) – previous weekend to Cristo de la Luz

Cultural Activity

	Contest Posters do Carnival February.
	Contest Letters of Love first fortnight of March.
	"Terra de Sons", in Aldán in the middle of July.
	Arte no Morrazo- Of the 15 of June to the 15 of July.
	Fair of Libro - Half-full of July.
	Hall the Cómic- Third week of July.
	Festival Folkloric the International of Hío, in the middle of August

	Argálica. Sample of Crafts, in the middle of August
	"Festival Folk de Vilariño", in Vilariño in the middle of August.
	International sample of Humorous and Festive Theater, the second week of September

Ancestral Dances

	Dance the San Sebastián in Aldán – 20 of January
	Dance teh San Roque in Hío –16 of August
	Dance and contradanza of Darbo - 8 of September

Cangas has the privilege of preserving a series of several-centuries-old dances, without comparison in Galicia. All of them are, at least, several centuries old, but is origin is much older. One of the characteristics is that dancers, especially women, wear very spectacular clothes, unusual in Galician folklore. Given that they are only celebrated once a year, the visitor who has the good luck to be here in the date of the celebration will stay deeply impressed by an unique and sole spectacle, which leads us to our deepest roots.

The “Danza de San Sebastián” takes place every 20th January in Aldán. It dates from, at least, 1650, but it could be even older. Men, dressed in black suits, wear a band with the colours of the national flag that in the case of the “guía” (leader) is crimson, having all of them castanets. On the other hand, women wear white dresses, embroidered shawls and black aprons and scarves of different colours on the shoulders. The most spectacular thing of their clothing is their hats, decorated with different types of flowers and with a great number of colour strips hanging from them.

The dancers wait in the atrium the beginning of the procession. When it begins, they bow and after they go dancing in front of the procession and they never give them the back. Once the procession finishes, and before the Saint is carried into the church again, they repeat the dance in its honour.
The “Danza de San Roque” is also many centuries old and it is celebrated in front of the famous “cruceiro” of Hío every 16th August. This dance counts on the intervention of twenty men but the most particular thing is that the dancers are divided in three rows, one of the representing the role of “damas” (ladies) and the others the role of “galanes” (gentlemen). While gentlemen are dressed in white with felt hat and black tie, ladies wear a curious costume, very similar to traditional Santiago de Compostela pilgrim’s clothes. This is the reason why this dance is also called “Danza dos Pelegríns” (Dance of Pilgrims).

Finally, the “Danza and Contradanza de Darbo” dates, at least, from the XVIth century and it can be seen every 8th September in front of the parish church of Darbo. The sixteen dancers are distributed in three rows, one composed by ladies and two composed by gentlemen. Every row has its own “contraguía” (leader), while the “guía” (leader of the dance) can be distinguished because of its colourful plume. Ladies wear beautiful clothes and colourful hats full of flowers, while men wear odd costumes with flamboyant archaic design earrings. This could be an evidence of the age of this age-old dance.

Other Celebrations

Carnival
Holy week: Friday of the Dolores, Thursday Santo (Procesión of Santa Cena), Good Friday (Procesión of Encuentro, Staging of the Desenclavo, Procesión of Santo Entierro, Procesión of Silencio).
Bonfires of San Juan