It is the highlight of the biggest religious festival in that municipality, attracting hundreds of locals and tourists every year.
Machico’s biggest religious festival is celebrated on the 8th and 9th of October. The highlight is tonight.
The veneration of the Lord of Miracles, which began after the terrible flood of October 9, 1803, began to be annually marked by the festivities known as the Feast of the Lord of Miracles.
These festivities, as well as the veneration of the Lord of Miracles, which includes one of the main processions of faith in the entire Region, annually attract faithful and pilgrims from all over the Island.
In this procession, which takes place on the night of October 8th, the image of the Lord of Miracles is carried on a float, inside a boat, to the main church, accompanied by fishermen with torches (dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt), remaining there until the following day, the day of the flood, when after mass it returns in procession to its chapel.
On this day, believers thank “the Lord for the blessings requested of him throughout the year”, fulfilling “the promises made to the Lord of Miracles in sad times of pain and misfortune”. To this end, they carry with them ex-votos and candles to symbolize the fulfillment of promises made in times of greater affliction and hardship. Others feel the need to express their faith, often barefoot, in an additional act of devotion.
In order to “highlight the grandeur of the torches and candles, as well as the entire atmosphere of splendor and collective faith, the public lighting is turned off during the procession”, where only “the flames of the candles” and torches shine.