Adeje’s department of culture, under councillor Maria Clavjio Maza, has announced that his year, given the current pandemic situation, there will not be any public/cultural events to makr the feast of Saint Sebastian (San Sebastian) co-patron of the borough. As was the case in 2021, the day will be marked by a number of masses (with limited attendance), the principal one taking place at 12 noon, which will be live-streamed on the Adeje social media channels and Radio Sur Adeje, 107.9fm.
The councillor underlined that “given current circumstances the year we are unfortunately unable to celebrate San Sebastian as we usually do, and we are calling on the public to continue to observe current norms at all times.”
Maria Clavijo Maza confirmed that there will be liturgical acts held, with limited in-person attendance allowed, “which is why we have decided to transmit the main mass on our social media and radio, so people can follow the mass at home”.
Festival origins
The festival of San Sebastián has been celebrated in Adeje, and the rest of the island, since the beginning of the 18th century, and he is one of the borough’s patron saint, and someone to whom many Adeje people have prayed to for ‘favours’ or assistance, today as in the past.
This feast day has always been linked to the celebration of animals and their work on farms too, with many farmers bringing their animals to La Caleta to be blessed during normal times on this day.
Adeje’s statue of San Sebastián, which normally resides in the hermitage in front of the church, was created in the Bririllo de Valencia workshop and brought to Adeje in 1916, mentioned in an article published in the Gaceta de Tenerife on January 29th of that year. It has a classical aspect, smaller than life-size, and made from carved wood and polychrome. Miracles have been attributed to the Saint in Adeje, and even today many of the faithful pray to the saint for cures and favours.
