Inside the holidays and traditions alcañizanas the Holy Week stands out undoubtedly. As the rest of the Low Aragon, also Alcañiz is characterized by the widespread and uninterrupted touch of the drum and of the bass-drum by the streets, simultaneously religious and traditional commemoration.
To regional level unifier supposes a cultural element, but the municipalities that integrate the Association " Ruta del tambor y del bombo " try to personalize his celebration with signs and original acts.
In Alcañiz the color of the tunics is blue, different to all the rest villages. The bass-drum does not touch itself, only the drum, and it does not also break the hour, central event in other places, but the neighbors go out of his houses towards the midday of the Good Friday continuously of palillear, centering in the Square until there goes out the procession of the Cry, in which they arrange forming two rows. The percussion has his origin in the initiative that there carried out Mateo Pestel, cuaresmero of today ex-schoolboy of Santa Maria the Major one, in 1678, when there was celebrated by the first time the procession of the Cry, headed by three penitents by trumpet, bells and kettledrums.
Walking the time there joined rattles and the drums that ultimately would be imposed. In the city there is celebrated a peculiar procession of the Domingo of Easter known like about The Wings nut, in which sueltan twelve white doves, on there having be opened a species of articulated grenade, as sign of Christ's Resurrection. The confraternities are very extensive. The most ancient is that of the Holy Burial of Our Gentleman Jesus Christ, who dates back of 1628, year in which it was raised by the dad Urbano VIII.
Saint Georges day, April 23th, is enjoyed from 1996 of the spectacle outdoors known as the Maturity of the Dragoon, creation based on the legend for which Pedro I conquered Huesca (Alcoraz's battle, 1096) from the Muslims with the miraculous help of the saint. It is the parable of the fight between the good (San Jorge) and the evil (Dragoon), triumphing the kindness and the tolerance opposite to the hatred not by means of the sword but with a bouquet of flowers. Of there that tries to recover a former tradition for which the horticulturists of Alcañiz were giving to his loved one on this day a branch of wild flowers, the " branch of the bienquerer ". The previous or later to San Jorge weekend, takes place a medieval market.
Of between the pilgrimages that the alcañizanos celebrate throughout the year, Domingo del Voto to the hermitage of the Virgin of Pueyos it possesses a tradition more than centenary. On April 25, 1738 the council of the city did vote of coming once a year to Pueyos in action of thanks to the mistress for having freed Alcañiz of the drought and bran like that the crops. Last Sunday of April the pilgrimage is celebrated and every year a villa deals with the care of the sanctuary. Another pilgrimage to this sanctuary is celebrated on September 9, presided by the Town hall, Confraternity and Clergy, coinciding with the employer holidays celebrated in honor to the Virgin of the Pueyos and of the Angel Custodio Saint the second week of September.
To the hermitage of Holy Barbara one comes on August 6, holiday of the Transfiguration, besides December 4, festivity of Holy Barbara.
The carnival begins with the holiday of the choricer, on Thursday larder (Thursday previous to the Ash Wednesday). In this pagan Christianized celebration it leaves to the field for squads and one eats sausage.
The holidayss town are in the habit of being the most multitudinous, and those who concentrate, in a few days, major quantity of acts, as verbenas, folklore and traditional games, pilgrimages and processions, popular banquets In Alcañiz the holidays are dedicated to the mistress, the Virgin of the Pueyos, and to the boss, the Angel I Guard. These are carried out from September 8 to September 13.
Of ancient memory, and related possibly to rites prerromanos, they are the numerous holidays led by the fire and the hogeras.
Many of them take place between San Antón (January 17) and San Sebastian (January 20).
Inside the sweets related to out-standing festivities, the nipples of Holy Águeda enjoy a great tradition. On a base of sponge cake there is placed a cone of meringue finished off by a cherry, which origin seems that it is in the former breads in the shape of bosom that they were distributing between the women married to anticipate the own affections of the lactation.