In April, from 22 to 25, the Moors and Christians festivities are held in honor of Sant Jordi, declared of national tourist interest. During the four days, the acts that are celebrated are very diverse. On the 22nd of April, the parade and offering of music bands that will take part in the festivities takes place in the morning, and in the afternoon, the Entrance, where all the groups parade to the beat of the music, reliving all the feelings that make them most proud. At the end of the festival there is the Toilet, an informal tour of various streets in the town, with streetlights made by the festival-goers themselves, which end up being burned in the main square.
On the 23rd, it is the day of the patron saint, first thing in the morning, the reveille is celebrated, in which a squad of each group, parades and competes with the rest for the first prize. At mid-morning, a mass is held in honour of the patron saint, Saint George. In the afternoon, the children’s parade and the procession, which is once again a reason for meeting.
On the 24th, it is called “dels trons” day, since it takes place, symbolically, the conquest of the castle by the Moorish side and the later reconquest of the Christians, with solemn embassies. In addition, at the end of these embassies, other humorous ones are represented, where in an informal and funny way they parody current situations.
To finish the last day, it is dedicated to the homage and memory of those who have left us. Starting from Morer, the farmhouse where the Relic of San Jordi made its solemn entrance in 1780, we go up shooting harquebuses to the cemetery, where the celebration of the mass takes place outdoors. This is a unique act within the Moors and Christians festivities, where the people of Banyera feel like nobody else the memory of their dearest deceased. After the celebration, both festive and non-festive people gather around the Santo Cristo Chapel, where the proclamation and raising of next year’s captains takes place. At midday, they go down to the village, where, in the afternoon, the small image of Saint George is transferred, for each group, to the new captain’s home.
All these acts would not be the same without the presence of our visitors who observe with special attention each one of these acts that does not stop being special and characteristic.