''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, mainly in the southern

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

. According to popular tradition the festivals commemorate the battles, combats and fights between

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

(i.e.

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s) and

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

during the period known as ''

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

'' (from the 8th century through the 15th century). There are also festivals of ''Moros y Cristianos'' in

Spanish America Spanish America refers to the Spanish territories in the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The term "Spanish America" was specifically used during the territories' Spanish Empire, imperial era between 15th and 19th centur ...

Desembarc Moros i cristians La Vila Joiosa

The festivals represent the capture of the city by the Muslims and the subsequent Christian reconquering fight. The people who take part in the festival are usually enlisted in local associations called (singular ) or ''comparsas'' (companies that represent the Christian or Moor legions). Each side consists of various companies that carry out activities throughout the year, organizing spectacular parades during the days of the festival and spending a lot of gunpowder with firing salutes from the

arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...

in dramatized battles. The festivals last for several days, and feature festive parades with bombastic costumes loosely inspired by

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

fashion. Christians wear

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

, metallic helmets, and

armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...

, fire loud

es, and ride

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s. In contrast, Moors wear ancient Arab costumes, carry

scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade of about 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 inches) associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific swor ...

s, and ride real

camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...

s or

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

s. The festival develops among shots of

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

, medieval music, and

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

, and ends with the Christians winning a simulated battle around a castle. Due to Spanish Empire expansion, the performing art has been adapted in other places in Europe, America, and Asia, as in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

since the 17th century and is a popular street play throughout the country. Unlike the Spanish version, the Philippine version is dominated by indigenous Philippine cultures which are used in language, costumes, musics, and dances of the play. The main story of the art, however, has been faithfully retained. Similar celebrations in

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

, México, are called ''Morisma''. ElCampello2006

Origin

Theatrical festivities with this setting are already documented even before the end of the

itself, in

1426 Year 1426 ( MCDXXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 7 – King Henry VI summons the Parliament of England, directing its members to meet at Leicester on February 18. * J ...

in Murcia and in

1463 Year 1463 ( MCDLXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 1463rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 463rd year of the 2nd millennium, the 63rd year of the 15th century, and the 4th y ...

in Jaén. The modern "comparsas" or companies of Moors and Christians have their origin in the old ''Soldadesca'', the local militia that carried out military acts of display or exhibition of the troops if required to pay tribute to some authority. Traditionally they carried out these troop parades during the so-called "royal festivities" for the visit of the king, a royal anniversary, commemoration of a victory or birth of a prince. In certain towns, these acts of the militia were also carried out to honor the local

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

figure on his holiday, which is why it survived as annual celebrations. The historical element is added by taking advantage of these festivities for the representation and exhibition of Moors and Christians comedies, normally with a moralistic or religious didactic character. It is from the beginning of the 19th century when the first texts of ''Las Embajadas'' (the Embassies) appear, which require the need for two sides facing each other for the conquest of a castle.

Venues

The most well-known Moors and Christians festival are the

Moors and Christians of Alcoy The Moors and Christians of Alcoy (in Valencian ''Moros i Cristians d'Alcoi'', in Spanish ''Moros y Cristianos de Alcoy'') is a popular festival which takes place in the city of Alcoy in the Spanish Province of Alicante, including the representa ...

that takes place in

Alcoi Alcoy (; ; officially: / ) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 r ...

(

) from 22 to 24 April, around the Feast Day of

Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

(

Valencian Valencian can refer to: * Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain * Something related to the city of Valencia * Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain * Something related to the old Kingdom of ...

: ''Sant Jordi'';

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''San Jorge''), the patron saint of the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

(

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

and formerly also of the

). According to legend, after

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( Catalan/Valencian: ''Jaume I or Jaume el Conqueridor''; Aragonese: ''Chaime I'' ''o Conqueridor''; ; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1 ...

reconquered the city of Alcoi, the Moors, in turn, tried to recover it. As fighting was about to resume, Saint George miraculously appeared, and the frightened Moors scattered in defeat. Other traditions ascribe a miraculous saintly appearance to Saint James (''Santiago''), the patron saint of

, particularly at the

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab (), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the Spain in the Middle Ages, medieval history of Spain. The Christian ...

(in what today is the municipality of

La Carolina La Carolina is a city and municipality located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2014 census, the municipality has a population of 15,808 inhabitants. History La Carolina was formerly the capital of the ''Intendencia'' of the ...

, Province of Jaén,

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

), sometimes guiding the Christians to surprise the Moors; else rallying Christian forces during the battle. The feast day of St. James is 25 July, so some of the Moors' and Christians' festivals occur at the end of July.

La Vila Joiosa Villajoyosa (), in Valencian language, Valencian: (), meaning "The Joyful Town", and officially / , is a coastal town and municipality in the south of the Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the historic and administra ...

Villajoyosa Villajoyosa (), in Valencian: (), meaning "The Joyful Town", and officially / , is a coastal town and municipality in the south of the Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the historic and administrative capital of Mar ...

celebrates it in the last week of July, with a reenactment of the Berber pirate attack of 1538 (''desembarc''), according to tradition repelled when St. Martha (feast day 29 July) sent a

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

. Especially in northern and western Spain (

, and other places), parades associated with Corpus Christi celebrations may feature gigantic costumed Moors and Christians, also commemorating the Reconquest. Other noteworthy Moors and Christians festivals are celebrated in the towns of

Bocairent Bocairent (, ) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous ...

(a Medieval town, 1–5 February),

Banyeres de Mariola Banyeres de Mariola (), known simply as Banyeres ( ), is a settlement and a municipality in the north of the province of Alicante (Spain), 860 metres above sea level, with a population of 7,500. The main employer is the local textile industry. T ...

(22-25 April),

Villena Villena (; ) is a city in Spain, in the Valencian Community. It is located at the northwest part of Alicante (province), Alicante, and borders to the west with Castilla-La Mancha and Region of Murcia, Murcia, to the north with the province of Vale ...

with approximately 12,000 participants (most crowded festival), Almoradí (early August),

Biar Biar (; ) is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Vinalopó, province of Alicante, Spain. Biar lies at the foot of the Serra de Mariola and is located 39 km from the city of Alicante. The economy in Biar is based on manufac ...

Cocentaina Cocentaina (; ) is a locality and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca of Comtat, in the province of Alicante (province), Alicante, Spain. The village is located between the mountainous Serra d ...

Crevillent Crevillent (; ) is a town and municipality located in the Alicante province, part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated in the ''comarca'' of Baix Vinalopó, and lies at the foot of the hill range known locally as Serra de Creville ...

El Campello El Campello (; ) is a town on the Costa Blanca of Spain, within the Valencian Community. It is a 20-minute tram ride from Alicante city. There is a busy marina and fish market. The tower overlooking the harbour was built in the 16th century as ...

Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,

Elda Elda (; , ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 55,618 inhabitants, ranking as the 7th most populous city in the province. Elda joins together with the town of Petrer to form a ...

Muro d'Alcoi Muro de Alcoy () or Muro d'Alcoi (), also briefly called Muro (Spanish and Valencian: ), is a town and municipality located in the comarca of Comtat, in the province of Alicante, Spain, lying at the foot of the Serra de Mariola. As of 2009, it ha ...

Oliva Oliva (, ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' of Safor in the Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community, Spain. To its east lie of coastline and beaches fronting t ...

Ontinyent Ontinyent is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Vall d'Albaida, Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated on the banks of the Clariano River, a tributary of the Xúquer, and on the Xàtiva–Alcoi railway. Ontinyent is near the Sierra d ...

(late August),

Orihuela Orihuela (; ''Corpus Toponímic Valencià''. Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. 2009, València.) is a city and municipality located at the foot of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. The c ...

Petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the phylogenetic order Procellariiformes. Description Petrels are a monophyletic group of marine seabirds, sharing a characteristic of a nostril arrangement that results in the name "tubenoses". Petrels enco ...

, Sax,

Novelda Novelda (, ; ) is a town located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 27,135 inhabitants. Novelda has important quarries and mines of marble, limestone, silica, clay and gypsum. It is a major centre of the marble in ...

Monforte del Cid Monforte del Cid is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The municipality covers an area of and as of 2011 had a population of 7,771 people. Toponymy See also: Mons Fortis (toponym) . In the thi ...

, and some districts of the city of

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

also has very interesting Moors and Christians performances, especially in the former Moorish kingdom of

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

. Performances are mostly organized in rural towns and villages, such as Válor, Granada, a small town in the Eastern

Alpujarras The Alpujarra (, ) is a natural and historical region in Andalusia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is above sea level. It extends over two provinces, Granada and Almería; ...

. Spaniards took this tradition overseas. In the

, fiestas often include a ''moro-moro'' play. The show begins with a parade of stars in colorful costumes: Christians wear blue costumes, while Moors wear fully ornamented red costumes.

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, Peru and

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

also have festivals featuring Moors and Christians reenactments (the Mexican term is ''morisma'').

Music

A significant amount of incidental music has been composed and still is composed annually for these parades. It is known as ''música festera'' and comes from military band marches. There are currently three main genres: the classic and popular ''

pasodoble Pasodoble ( Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This often was accompanied by ...

s'', the melodious ''marchas moras'' (Moorish in style), and the forceful ''marchas cristianas''. In Spain a

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind instrument, woodwind, brass ...

plays the repertoire for these parades, in the two latter types of marches the band's music is reinforced by timpani, concert bass drums and a

gong A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...

Philippine Moro y Cristianos

In the

, the performing art is officially called ''Moro y Cristianos Street Drama'' by the

National Commission for Culture and the Arts The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines (NCCA; , ) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, d ...

, the cultural agency of the government. On July 5, 1637, Jesuit priest F. Hironimo Perez finished the first Moro y Cristianos play in the Philippines. The first drama was played in a church, and was presented to the governor-general for a victory play against Muslims in the south. Afterwards, the play became known in the common tongue as ''moro-moro'', which is the common name of the street drama today. The street drama itself, however, did not draw from actual Christian-Muslim conflict in the Philippines. The main precursor of its popularity in the Philippines was the indigenous '' awit'' and ''

corrido The corrido (Spanish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Spanish, oˈriðo is a famous narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a Ballad (music), ballad. The songs often feature topics such as oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaqu ...

'' traditions in Philippine native cultures. When performing, the representations for the Christians are in blue, while the representations for Muslims are in red or maroon. The street drama includes ''pasa dobles'' tune marches, ''rigodon'' in battles, courtships between a Moro prince and a Christian princess and vice versa, and a conclusion which usually depicts the Muslim converting into Christianity, the Muslim dying, or the appearance of the Virgin Mary or a saint as the intervention figure of the conflict. The ''komedya'' usually begins with a ''loa'', followed by a ''parada''. Usually, the main part of the story begins with a Muslim ''embahador'' delivering a challenge to an equally-boastful Christian. The street drama became popular in the rural areas due to the inputting of folk traditions in the play and the need of the people for leisure, especially after a hard day at labor. Overall, the Philippine ''moros y cristianos'' may last from one to several days, depending on the Philippine-written script being used. In 2011, the performing art was cited by the

as one of the intangible cultural heritage of the Philippines under the performing arts category that the government may nominate in the

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergove ...

References

External links

Pictures of Moros y Cristianos
in

Muro de Alcoy Muro de Alcoy () or Muro d'Alcoi (), also briefly called Muro (Spanish language, Spanish and Valencian language, Valencian: ), is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca of Comt ...

2006
Unión Nacional de Entidades Festeras de Moros y Cristianos
Web page of the official organization, in Spanish.

Pictures of ''Moros y Cristianos'' festival in

.
Alcoy Foto
Pictures of Alcoy and ''La fiesta de moros y cristianos'' in Alcoy.

Moros y Cristianos Festival history and today

MusicaFestera.com
Music of ''Moros y Cristianos''
Moros y Cristianos of Elda

Moros y Cristianos of Villena

Junta Festera de Moros i Cristians del Campello
Web page of the official organization.
Comparsa Saudites d'Ontinyent
(valencian)

Travel guide and info. {{Authority control Reconquista Culture of Spain Theatre in the Philippines Culture of the Valencian Community Festivals in Spain Mock combat Theatre in Spain