El Vítor procession

Fire, song and prayers to the Saint

Every year, on 27 September, the feast of Santo Toribio de Mogroviejo is celebrated in Mayorga. It commemorates the arrival of the Saint’s relics to his birthplace. There is a procession called El Vítor, where residents of the village walk with flaming torches made out of grape skins, from the Saint’s house to the shrine. During the procession there are singing and fireworks, and the celebration finally ends up in the village’s local associations.

Santo Toribio de Mogroviejo was a missionary in Latin America. The tradition of the El Vítor procession dates back to the 18th century, when village residents took to the streets with torches to celebrate the arrival of the Saint’s relics. A shrine in his honour was built in Mayorga in 1737.