APRIL

This day marks the beginning of Holy Week, with the blessing of the olive branches and the palms that the children carry, decorated with candies and other sweets. Something curiousabout this day is that in some homes the saying: “Domingo de Ramos! Who does not premiere (wear new clothing), has no hands, has become popular. ” Therefore, many people have the habit of releasing something, usually a garment, which within popular superstition means that you will have good luck until next year.

Cabolafuente has recovered the traditional lemonade for five years accompanied by typical sweets of these dates such as leaflets, flowers, donuts and pastries of very different variety. In Bureta and in the Huesca town of Bolea, some neighborskeep the custom of celebrating on the night of Holy Thursday the traditional Dinner of the Egg, based on this very basic food. This custom refers to the fact that formerly, after five in the afternoon, you could not eat meat,and which was replaced by eggs.

In Lagata, every Holy Saturday, the neighbors celebrate the Feast of the Eggs, a custom that goes back to past times and that gathers numerous people to eat fried eggs. This gastronomic custom is joined by the act of renewing the poplar that each year they plant in the church square and from which oranges hang in the highest part so that the young people try to get them.

On the Saturday closest to April 23, the town of Maella in Zaragoza celebrates its famous sartan, a festive day focused on a gastronomic contest, which has become one of the most crowded parties. More than 60 crews participate in this popular event that brings together some 1,500 people. The organization of this event is doneby the City Council with a commission that was created to address the preparation of this party. This organizational group is made up of the people in this region. The jury of the sartané is integrated by six people, two of the commission and the rest independent, people in the town. The president is Daniel Bondía, a maellano with the understanding of sartané. Contestants have to carry as always a deep frying pan or wok in which they must cook for at least six servings. The winner of the Sartané will take a ham and a trophy, as a souvenir. The City Council of Maella also prepares a large sartané for visitors who do not compete and who want to enjoy the atmosphere and the party. All those who want to taste a sartan dish should register. La sartané is a typical dish from Maella, a stew made by farmers when they went to the countryside. The ingredients are vegetables from the garden, and meat such as rabbit and pork or chicken.

On Resurrection Sunday, Fréscano celebrates the procession of the Virgen de la Huerta, also known as the Virgen de los Caramelos because it is adorned with sweets and garlands. The streets through which it runs are adorned during the previous night with laurel branches on the balconies and windows. Neighbors also tend to leave food and drink as a sign of reward and gratitude.

Campo de Cariñena celebrates the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Lagunas, a festivity organized by the towns of Cariñena, Longares and Alfamén and which ends the acts of Holy Week. Once in the sanctuary, to the religious acts, the tents enabled for the occasion are added in which all the assistants to the pilgrimage eat and drink in harmony.

In Mediana, vicinity of the Ribera Baja del Ebro, the pilgrimage is celebrated for the hermitage of Santa María Magdalena, where it is customary for the parish priest to bless the existing spring in the place so that it does not dry out during the coming months of heat. The priest also blesses the loaves that the city council distributes among all the people who participate in this traditional event and, after having lunch in groups of friends and family in the open, the host invites guests to the cafeteria after dinner with pasta.

The city of Teruel celebrates Easter Tuesday with the Sermon de las Tortillas. Relatives and gangs depart early in the morning to the countryside to enjoy a country day in which tortillas, salads, ham, grilled meats and even paellas are usually the usual menus. The dessert is in all cases the thread of Easter, a sugar cake, with anisetes and boiled egg inside.

The origin of the Serrano de las Tortillas dates back to the Middle Ages when, after the election of the members of the Council, on Easter Tuesday, the people of Teruel enjoyed a picnic in the countryside around the chapel of the Old Town. The tortillas were added in the nineteenth century since it was the main food of the day.

The city of Borja celebrates the night of the eve of San Jorge la Jota of Ronda de Roscón, a custom that is only a few years old but which has been deeply adopted among the population. The joteros of the Aguilar Laudística Orchestra go around the streets picking up the roscones that people offer them, and sweets that once finished the route they deliver it to the Sancti Spiritus Hospital.

The Lanzon de San Jorge is a recently created cake made of a base of three layers of sponge cake, nougat mousse and toasted yolk, which has been institutionalized as the typical dessert of the day of the patron saint of Aragon. It was created in 1982 by the pastry chef Amadeo Babot and the merchant Ángel Sanjosé. The cake includes a coat of St. George chocolate, a flag of Aragon and a cachirulo, the latter of cloth, which tops the decoration of this sweet.

Desserts of San Jorge. Another sweet star of the day is the culecas, a sweet bun shaped like a woman that can be tasted on April 23 in towns such as Tarazona, Borja, Ambel or Ainzón.

As popular meals in Fuendejalón they eat potatoes and meat, in Albeta and Bisimbre they prefer paella and ranch or stew, in Bureta they opt for a popular lunch and in Ambel they make a ranch contest. Alfamén makes a great paellada and La Almunia de Doña Godina chooses the best ranch. In El Tormillo the “sardinetas” are distributed and in Fayón, they eat the panet de Sant Jordi blessed in the religious services. Maella celebrates the sartané, a recipe imcluding stir-fry, pork ribs, rabbit or chicken meat, lamb skirt, potatoes, and rice as basic ingredients; and in Grañén, the calderetas are eaten in the park of Don Julián. Many towns of Aragon, including Quinto -in the Ribera Baja del Ebro- celebrate the patron saint of Aragon with a large popular paella for many diners. The day, in addition to the gastronomic appointment, has different leisure activities and performances, mostly jota.

Campillo de Aragón goes on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Jaraba. After the celebration of the mass, in the esplanade before the chapel, there is a vermouth for the attendees and then, in groups, in the part of the ravine next to the hermitage, the pilgrims prepare their meals with bonfires and enjoy a lively field day.