Fiesta de San Roque
Every dog has its day, but in Tarija, Bolivia they get at least a week! Tarija’s well known Fiesta de San Roque features dogs parading through the streets in festive collars (San Roque being the patron saint of dogs. But also of the poor and the sick). During the celebration, all the dogs around the city are adorned with ribbons and showered with treats and affection.The Saint’s day is officially on the 16th August but the main celebration, however, doesn’t begin until the first Sunday in September and it continues for eight days. It features daily parades of Chunchos (an indigenous tribe) in stunning traditional costumes with bright feathers, ribbons and sequins, accompanied by drums and wind instruments unique to the Tarija region, parading a statue of the Saint through the town.
Each of the “Chunchos” has made a deal with the saint. They ask for relief for themselves or a family member from some ill that has befallen them and in return, they march in honor of the saint for the 8 days that the festivities last.
Tarija adopted San Roque as their patron when in 1875 (548 years after his death in Europe) he supposedly appeared and healed a number of people from Leprosy. The story goes that whilst Rock, or Rocco as he was also known, was still alive in Italy, after having healed a number of people from the plague, he himself was afflicted by the disease and was expelled from the town. He was kept alive by a dog whilst living in a cave. The owner of the dog noticed that the dog disappeared every day with a loaf of bread. After following the dog, he found San Roque in his cave and became his devoted follower.
The celebration of San Roque is said to go back to colonial times, when a plague devastated the city. After the Spanish colonists prayed to San Roque, the disease reportedly subsided, thus the people began an annual fiesta in thanksgiving.
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| There comes the Saint..... |
