Home Argentine Traditions The Harvest Festival is not a single

The Harvest Festival is not a single

The departments of Mendoza hold their own vintage festivities to choose their queen, who will compete in the central act.

Traditions

By: Exequiel Nacevich

The National Harvest Festival is perhaps the most representative tradition of the people of Mendoza. It has over 80 years of history and has become a brand inherent in our culture. However, behind the central event that is presented on the second Sunday of March, there are an infinite number of shows and performances that are part of the same. Blessing of the Fruits , Carousel of the Queens and Via Banca , among others. However, here we will deal with the departmental holidays.

Mendoza is composed of 18 apartments . Each of them holds its own Harvest Festival between January and February . With the participation of musicians, dancers and all kinds of artists. But of course, with the unfailing section to pay tribute to the workers of the vineyard , the real reason for this tradition.

It is a show that fills the neighbors with pride and excitement. Families and friends are preparing to attend that magical night, where music and artistic proposals are responsible for contributing the quota of algarabía. But, in addition, the public is excited about another aspect: the departmental festivals serve to elect the queen who will represent that municipality in the central act . It is that every district that is part of a department provides its queen to compete that night to be elected, by the public and by the authorities.

It's not a beauty pageant

In the times that run, it is necessary to emphasize that queens are no longer chosen based on their physical appearance. Today, the queen, departmental or national, is chosen based on a cluster of criteria that have to do with cultural, knowledge, personality, etc . This is something that has cost to install it in society, but for some years it seems to have taken root, and the people's comment ceased to be “San Rafael is very cute” or “the queen of San Carlos is half ugly”, to be “Guaymallén knows a lot about viticulture”.