Branch party

This popular festival, also known as the festival of the Virgen de las Nieves, is celebrated in the coastal town of Agaete during the month of August. It is said that the ancient canaries brought branches from the mountain of Tirma to hit the sea while they sang to the gods asking for rain. Today, the branches shake in the air until they reach the beach, where they are given as an offering to the virgin. During the tour, pilgrims dance with the branches to the rhythm of music in a fun procession. The festival continues with a pilgrimage that takes the saint from her hermitage to the parish of Our Lady of the Conception, where she stays a few weeks before being returned to her hermitage.