Discover Top Posts Tagged with #aromatic plants

Was hit with a profound odor after coming in from a cold winter night, noticed how amazing the scent from this Dracaena in flower.

#aromatic plants #just a little guy too

The local festivity of the town of Bétera (València, Valencian Country) is the Festival of the Virgin of August, but it's most commonly called the Festival of Basil (Festa de les Alfàbegues)... No need to wonder why!

The most characteristic element of this traditional festivity is held on the 15th of August and consists of offering large basil plants to the Virgin. Basil plants are usually between 40 and 60 cm tall, but the ones grown in the area and used in the holiday can be more than 2 meters tall and reaching 4 meters wide. In fact, Bétera holds the Guinness World Record of the largest basil plant, which was 3.24 meters tall.

Various groups of local people carry the giant basil plants from the garden where they're grown to the church, crossing the town as other people come to watch them. Throughout the parade, they also throw confetti. Historically, barley and Mediterranean strawflowers were also offered, together with the basil. The festivities last for longer, with other traditional activities related to music and fireworks.

Even though the legends say this festivity has its origin in the 13th century, when a woman from Bétera cured a Moorish king with a remedy made of basil, it's unknown how old this tradition is. Some historians have linked it to fertility rituals celebrated around the Mediterranean, but the truth is that its origins are lost in time.

Basil is an aromatic plant used in cooking and for keeping mosquitoes away. It reaches its best picking point in August, and for this reason in many towns of the Catalan Countries it's traditional to include basil in the festa major local holidays celebrated in August (for example, in Mislata in the Valencian Country or in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Arenys de Mar, and Vall d'Ora in Catalonia, and is worn by the cossiers dancers in Mallorca) or in events related to the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (15th August), such as to take basil offerings to churches to surround with basil a statue of the Sleeping Virgin or the Dead Virgin (most common in Mallorca) or processions to offer basil to Mary done in various towns of the Valencian Country (Túria, Massarrojos, Gata de Gorgos).

Photos by JM López. Information from festes.org, Bétera Turisme, Centre d'Estudis Locals de Bétera.