The Menjabollos Giant
The Menjabollos Giant is a famous man at Christmas time in Guardamar del Segura, this mythical character is very tall and strong and is known well around the area. He lives deep in the forest in a very nice timber house and he looks after the forest and keeps it clean and tidy. He comes to Guardamar every year to announce Christmas and stays untill the night before the Three Kings day, while he is in Guardamar he gives gifts to the children at midday on 23rd December and takes part in a dancing procession -the dwarves and giants dance- through the streets with the children. Afterwards in the Placa d Constitution afternoon snacks are served.
3 comments:
I have an interest in Spanish culture and traditions - does this mythical creature replace Santa Claus?
thanks for your interest, yes im sure he is the Guardamar version of Santa Clause
Menjabollos is actually the representation of a real person, not a mythical figure. He is not a replacement for Santa Claus, but is a recently new addition to the numerous figures of the Christmas season: Father Christmas, The Three Kings, Menjabollos. Menjabollos was the nickname of a very tall and very strong man who lived in El Campo de Guardamar either et the end of the 19th or during the early part of the 20th century. Locals I have spoken to estimate that he was about 2.40m tall and was capable of tossing any other man over his head. He worked on the canal that helps take irrigation water to the fields of El Campo, but later joined a circus where, it seems, he was sadly exploited.
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