Almería commemorates the city’s founding by the Catholic Monarchs with the Día del Pendón

IT might be Boxing Day everywhere else, but December 26 has a special meaning for the city of Almería. This year, on Monday, December 26 the city commemorated the 533^rd anniversary of the city’s capture by the ‘Reyes Católicos’ Catholic monarchs.

The Día del Pendón is a historical celebration of the city’s rich history, with this event dating back to 1489. The city marked the day with a packed all-day schedule of events which began at 8am with the hanging of Almería’s traditional pennant flag from the balcony of the City Hall and the firing of 21 cannon shots.

Throughout the day, several more flag-bearing and commemoration events were held to the sounds of the Spanish National Anthem. The Bishop of Almería, Monsignor Antonio Gómez Cantero also made a speech appealing for “Humility, kindness and patience to restore a society that places importance on dialogue, justice and harmony”.

The Mayor of Almería, María del Mar Vázquez, also expressed her pride at raising the historic flag, and being the first female Mayor to do so.