Written by @loretosocorro
They say that the ancient Canarians already had a sanctuary where the Virgen del Pino appeared.
My memories of the “Pino” festivities begin in the 70s of the last century: days of preparations so as not to miss the pilgrimages, where so many people gathered that it could be said that the island emptied to fill up again around the Basilica of Terror. Scheduling the visit was going to see the descent of the virgin, then the walk and enjoy the pilgrimage live or on TV...
The last week of August, some neighbors met at home to see what time they took the bus from Telde to Tamaraceite and, from there, they walked. Most of the legs had promises to pay and others we only walked to explore landscapes that could not be discovered by car.
The roads, closed for the pilgrimage, the backpacks: with water and some biscuits and a great desire to arrive encouraged us on the "Pal Pino" route.
Tiredness was already great when, before us, a stubborn and challenging slope rose up, but the spirit, even more gigantic, put its feet back on the march and… “one two potatoes and rice…”; to the final stretch!
The night became magical in Teror, due to fatigue, due to the joy of street vendors in contrast to the silence of the people who came to the feet of the Virgin. Fortunately, some customs have already been forgotten for the good of bloody knees, but there are still tears made with the "salt" of faith.
Like the "tides of the Pine", every year a new beginning returns to this almost round island in September. A month that means farewells and hugs, although it is also synonymous with going back: to work, to classes, to regular hours...
After a summer where, once again, we have been able to go from party to party, it is time for the doors of the largest of them all to open.
Teror is beautiful any day of the year: you want to visit its beautiful green areas and walk it completely and, above all, that walk to the basilica, with or without a market.
The festivities of the XNUMXst century have more attractions: tradition and devotion go hand in hand with the new media and social networks: agree and get together thanks to whatsapp groups, itineraries with google maps, arranged transport and prepared especially for the dates and with long hours, rooms to rent at the click of a button, a lot of selfies on networks, stories, reels… what doesn't change is that feeling of sharing around a celebration that mixes so many things from the past with the present.
There where the party is pure stall there is also calm, peace and the shelter of a mother.
The legends around the apparition of the Virgen del Pino, her miracles and the image itself have inspired musicians, painters, singers and a variety of costumes. I don't know if there will be other images that have so many beautiful cloaks over 104 cm of wood carving, but we are happy to enjoy the variety of colors with which "Pinito" dresses and maintains himself thanks to a group of people who take care of the details that we appreciate, throughout the year.
The Pino festivities, in the hearts of many people, begin before we go up to see the dressing room go down and end after the Marías festivities.
This year, finally, the offering will not be symbolic. The virus prevented us from massive pilgrimages but it did not prevent the solidarity that the offerings imply from stopping. Without an audience and with a single representative from each municipality, an act was held for the image and, at the same time, tons of food that was not taken in procession was delivered to Cáritas, to be distributed with the most needy people.
The year 2022 has been trained with parties all over the island and now, in Teror, there is already a party like before: folkloric acts, a lot of tradition such as cattle fairs and also more playful performances, in accordance with the years we live and which are a wide offer, concentrated in the Villa Mariana.
Néstor Álamo devised a way of approaching Teror and «el Pino» that has been successful and that maintains that feeling of canarity. The carts waited for their turn to go from El Castañero Gordo to the Basilica of Teror and I knew that!
The Pino knew me and the walk knew me!
The path we travel towards the center of the island and towards our own center. Alone or in company, at any time of the year the “Pal Pino” path is available to everyone, but if it is in September, even better.
