Nit de l'Albà

The Nit de l’Albà or Alborada is a celebration that takes place on the night of 13th August in Elche in Spain. Hundreds of fireworks light up the sky in this magical night. The celebration origins date back to the Middle Ages when families offered a rocket for each of their children to the Virgin of La Asuncion, who is Elche's patron saint. Today the tradition has turned into an organised firework display where hundreds of fireworks and rockets are fired from different points of the city, especially from roofs where the inhabitants of Elche also join in spontaneously with their own fireworks. The colourful storm of rockets and fireworks begins at 22:30 p.m. and continues until a few minutes before midnight. At that moment, all the fireworks cease and the city lights are turned off. The people of Elche remain silent while they listen to Gloria, the most significant fragment of the Mystery Play, which is a lyrical medieval drama declared by the World Heritage and UNESCO. At midnight, the darkness of the city is almost completeley lit up for a few seconds by a huge white starburst which is known, because of its shape, as the Virgin's palm tree, and which is released from Santa Maria's Basilica. Once this magical moment has passed, the city lights are turned on and people can see an image of the Virgin in fireworks on the Basilica's tower while they listen and join in singing Aromas Ilicitanos, which is the town anthem. The celebration ends with people eating watermelon on their roofs.