The Beñesmen or Beñesmer was the most important festival of the ancient aborigines of the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
, mainly between the
Guanches of the island of
Tenerife
Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
. It was the feast of the harvest, it ordered Aboriginal affairs materials, and celebrated, venerated cultural and spiritual traditions. He was considered the "''New Year''", which coincided with the collection of the harvest. They were held during the first moon of August. Beñesmen was also the name with which the Guanches knew the month of August.
In the material order in Beñesmen were held in ''
Tagoror'' (meeting places) in which the land and areas of farming, herding and fishing were distributed, as well as cattle and swarms, and tasks are assigned to the different members society undertaken in the year starting on that day.
In the spiritual order, Beñesmen was the day that Aboriginals thanked and asked their gods, especially the two most important deities,
,
Achamán Achamán is the supreme god of the Guanches on the island of Tenerife; he is the father god and creator. The name means literally "the skies", in allusion to the celestial vault (the sky).
Achamán, an omnipotent and eternal god, created the land a ...
and
Chaxiraxi, identified by the Guanches with the Catholic Christian
Virgin of Candelaria (Patron of Canary Islands). They thanked them and asked the ritual of breaking the gánigo with milk and honey, and the ritual of green candles.
Elements of the Beñesmen were
Christianized, to officially move the festival of the Virgin of Candelaria of February 2 to August 15, coinciding with the feast of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Currently the pilgrimage to
Candelaria (held during the night of August 14 to 15) is a legacy of this ancient rite of aboriginals. Besides various groups currently they have cultural events to mark the Beñesmen.
Fiestas de San Juan de la Rambla
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See also
* Guanches
* Church of the Guanche People
* Virgin of Candelaria
References
External links
El primer Beñesmen acercará las tradiciones canarias a niños y jóvenes
Pobladores del Hierro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benesmen
Guanche
Canarian culture
August observances
Religious holidays
Modern pagan holidays
New Year celebrations
Summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere)