THE ACT OF PRESENTATION OF THE OFFICIAL GALA SUITS

Currently, the first official act attended by the Meigas in the HOGUERAS program is the one that serves to present both the exercise program and the General Poster, as well as the Official Gala Costumes

that the older Meigas must wear because of their participation in the most important acts of the entire annual calendar.

This act, which is usually held on the Saturday before the Feast of the Poetic Coven, has as a distant background those presentations to the press of the program of HOGUERAS that were held at the beginning of each year during the 70s and 80s and that had different formats always based on the economic capabilities of the Promotion Commission.

With the passing of the years and the consequence that the official gala costumes of the Meiga Mayor and the Meigas de Honor began to be presented by a designer or a commercial firm of the fashion branch, who at the same time takes care of their confection, it was decided to celebrate an act of presentation of the designs taking advantage, likewise of this circumstance, to present the program and the general poster of the exercise.

Throughout the years of history of the Promoting Commission, the frameworks for the presentation of the program were varied; from during the course of a dinner, served to the directors of the Accredited Media in the city, in the Os Arcados restaurant, which was repeated several times, passing through the already disappeared Gabeiras disco in the basement of the Atlantic Hotel; the facilities of the Beach Club or the cultural environment of El Corte Inglés, to the halls of the Sporting Club Casino where it is currently held, several spaces hosted this first official act of the program.

The act, which is attended by older and children’s Meigas dressed in the Regional Costume of Galicia, maintains a structural coherence in order to achieve the two objectives that are pursued, being articulated in two parts, one, merely formal and institutional, and a second, musical that has the participation of some group or rondalla.

With a set in which the models of the Costume that the Meiga Mayor will wear and which the Meigas de Honor will wear, stand out, the act begins with the presentation of the general program of the HOGUERAS supported by audiovisual media, in which photographs of the previous edition while the Program Director makes a brief outline of the most outstanding activities.

Subsequently, the formal act of the presentation of the Official Costumes is made taking the floor of the designer of the same who details on the details that she considers of greater importance; next, the Major Meiga takes the floor and thanks, on behalf of the Meigas, for the work done by the firm; to these words are added those of the President of the Commission who places greater emphasis, if possible on this

gratitude.

It is noteworthy that, since, in 1995, the election system of the Major Meiga was modified, there have been several designers and firms that have contributed their valuable collaboration when dressing the older Meigas with their Official Gala Costumes . From the designers Rosa Tedín and Charo Carrillo, through the Vocational Training Institute of Los Puentes or Style Outlet, to the prestigious firm Pilar y Carmen that has been doing it for years.

Concluded this turn of interventions, the Meiga Mayor delivers a gift to the firm that has made the design; This phase of the act concludes with the intervention of the municipal representation, in case of attending – he did it continuously until 2015 -, which he does on behalf of the Mayor of the city.

Concluded this phase, begins the second part in which an instrumental group or a rondalla puts the musical note to the act through a brief recital.

It is customary to also take advantage of this day to officially present the magazine HOGUERAS and the hand program, which are distributed among the attendees.

After the cessation of activity of the Promoting Commission in 2014, the Association of Meigas assumed as its own the organization of this act with which the HOGUERAS officially begin.

José Eugenio Fernández Barallobre.