The Penya Dean of Les Fogueres: 'L'Escaldà' turns 40

Keeping years is always healthy. On this occasion we congratulate the Penya L'Escaldà, that in these parties Fogueres de Sant Joan meets 40 years. The president of the Penya, Pepe Fornés and the members, Bartolomé Bas "Aspirin" and Pepe Espinós have been the hosts of this celebration.

"It all started in 1989 with a fictional wedding", members count and explain "Espinós asked the priest for the clothes to put on, the answer was negative, the same answer was from the vicar and the sacristan, then he went to the asylum where there was a nun who lent him the cassock and the bonnet and we made a fictitious wedding with suits vintage and following this wedding was born L'Escaldá".

The purpose of l'Escaldà

La Penya l'EscaldàFrom its beginnings, it had a purpose: To make itinerant representations inside the parties of Fogueres of the things that were done in the grandparents' time, in addition they distributed products of the land like oil, almonds, raisins and pieces of cake.

L'Escaldà creates 'La Nit de Focs'

This Penya leaves us a curious fact, and is that they were the ones who started the traditional Focs de Sant Joan. Espinós points out that The Romantic of Saladar "RAS" had three wind instruments and the Penya I had some percussion instruments that still have 1919, "We accompanied them and made the first Focs of Sant Joan. Every year we made the fires and little by little more people came until the Local Interest Festival of the Valencian Community was declared in 2012".

Espinós points out that they were close to 30 years organizing this event, "and the last three we have the help of Penya La Bakanal. The funny thing was that suddenly we were told that the organization of the Focs would no longer L'Escaldá. This fact disappointed us and we feel contempt".

Since then it is the Commission of Fogueres and the Quintà of the 25 years who are in charge of the fires. "The party continues the same and continues to be an important night in the festivities, but it seemed good that after being the founders, we are not taken into account", says Espinós.

L'Escaldà vindicates 'Don Miquel'

When 'Els focs of Sant Joan de Xàbia' They declared themselves a Festival of Local Tourist Interest of the Community in 2012, L'Escaldà published with the Cirne Foundation a booklet telling the beginning of this event and requesting that the charangas that they play during the tour make sound 'Don Miquel' while people jump the fires.

Those responsible for L'Escaldá They claim to continue with the tradition. Likewise, the members of this dean Penya contribute their point of view on the holidays; "We think that the fifths, as protagonists of the parties, should enjoy the parties in a big way, that it was the commission /town hall who will pay for their parties and not them with their dues", said Espinós.

Currently, the Penya L'Escaldà It has 11 members, although they have reached 25. Their house is located on Mare de Déu d'Agost street and during the holidays they expose old photographs on the street and celebrate lunch and dinner with menus prepared by their partners. In addition, his house is very unique since it has the exhibition of old utensils, tools of the time and they have also restored an ice cream cart and have a model of the first wooden cadafal that was mounted on the bulls of Sant Joan.