While thousands of people flock to the small parish of Bembrive every year for the Festival of San Blas, we were lucky enough for this event to only be a short city-bus ride away! One of the most popular festivities in Vigo, the citizens of Bembrive celebrate on the 2nd and 3rd of February to pay homage to Saint Blaise -- aka San Blas. With traditional Galician dancing, music, and singing around every corner, the small village turns into the biggest party of the year! Inside of the furanchos --improvised taverns constructed inside garages and living rooms of local residents-- vendors sell their surplus from the year's wine harvest. As San Blas is known to be invoked in the aid for those who are choking, it was a true blessing that the wine never stopped flowing!
After taking a bus from the center of Vigo, my friends Jennie, Lindsey, Forrest, and I, met up with the rest of our group to enjoy the festival, music, and --of course-- the wine. Traditionally, in Galician taverns wine is served in bowl-shaped containers called cuncas. The cuncas are a very symbolic part of the wine culture in Galicia and Vigo in particular. I had such a great time spending the evening celebrating with close friends and even had the chance of running into my students from EOI. We all felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to take part in such a lively festival in our very own backyard! For those back home, it's time to break out your soup bowls and have a bottle of tinto on me ¡Salud!
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