LA MAYA

Starting at 7:30 p.m.

Plaza de la Constitución

One of its most beloved traditions returns: La Maya. This Friday, May 8, Olivenza will revive an ancestral celebration filled with color and music.

Starting at 7:30 p.m., the youngest members of the “La Encina” Choir and Dance Group, the Chaparritos, will bring this festival to life by performing the traditional dance of La Maya to the sound of the rondalla.

In this celebration, a girl dressed in white and adorned with flowers becomes a symbol of spring. Surrounded by Los Chaparritos, who carry baskets of petals, La Maya represents renewal, beauty, and the continuity of our cultural roots.

This tradition draws on Portuguese influences, as reflected in the expression “Uma esmolinha prá maia prá um pandeiro que não tem dinheiro,”

Nor is the traditional song that accompanies the dance missing: “Long live La Maya, whom I have adorned / with wildflowers brought by my beloved / give alms for those flowers / I put all my hopes (repeat) / my hopes”