9th October the Region of Valencia Day!

For Valencia this fiesta is about regional pride. In 1238 Valencia was finally re-conquered by the Christian army of King Jaime I, after over five centuries of Islamic rule. King Jaime did not just annex the Valencia kingdom to his crown, but in a very generous gesture he established the Valencian Kingdom as an autonomous region, with its own governing bodies and courts. This was the birth of the Valencian Community and a source of great pride for the Valencians today.

The programme of the official Region of Valencia Day consists of numerous and varied acts that begin on the eve of 8 October with the holding of the Pyrotechnical festival in the city of Valencia. The following day after the official reception of the President in the Palau de la Generalitat and the honours awards ceremony to different Valencian personages, a series of official acts that have their origin in a privilege given by King Pedro el Ceremonioso (Peter the Ceremonious) in 1365 are held.

The Valencian flag, the Reial Senyera, descends from the main balcony of the Valencia City Hall, and, the civic procession begins, which travels round the streets of the city until reaching the Cathedral. Once at the Cathedral, the religious act of Te Deum is performed, after which the procession continues as far as the Palau de la Generalitat, seat of the Consell (Council), in which the Hymn of the Region of Valencia is performed. The retinue leaves the square called Alfonso el Magnánimo, where a floral offering is made in front of the equestrian statue of Jaime I. Once this has ended, the retinue heads once more for the City Hall, bringing the act to a close with the setting off of a mascletà.

Throughout this day parades take place in all the towns and cities in the region of Valencia. The parades feature people dressed in costumes, including medieval costumes. People in some areas hold a communal meal or party after the parade.

The 9th October is also the Feast of Sant Dionís, traditionally considered the patron saint of those in love for which reason it is the custom on this day to give the gift of the Mocadorà, a knotted silk handkerchief filled with home-cooked marzipan sweets made by Valencian confectioners.