Sant Dionís is Valencia’s version of Valentine’s Day in the United States. Throughout the city, a festival is held celebrating the patron saint of lovers. It is custom for men to give away traditional desserts, "mocadoràs," as gifts to their wives, girlfriends, and mothers. The desserts are made of marzipan, a sweet paste made of honey, sugar and almonds. They are molded and colored to look like various fruits and vegetables. The sweets are then wrapped in a silk scarf and given as a symbol of love and adoration. A local told me that every year the bakeries in Valencia produce thousands of these little desserts. More than 73,000 kilos of marzipan are used to produce a few hundred thousand mocadoràs. That's more than 160,000 pounds of marzipan!
The Ninth of October is all about regional pride. For more than five centuries, Valencia was under Islamic reign. But, on October Ninth in1238, the city was finally reconquered by King James I and his Christian army. King James didn’t just conquer Valencia and add the region to his crown; he made the Valencian Kingdom an autonomous region, giving it its own government and court system. This celebration marks the peak of Valencian nationalism each year! It’s such a big deal that the King of Spain flies from the capital city of Madrid to Valencia to celebrate, along with his cabinet and many military men. Once within the city, they are joined by the mayor of Valencia and clergymen.
One of the most symbolic events of the day is the flag processional. Over the centuries, the original Valencian flag, Senyera, carried by King James’ men has been preserved.
