The most anticipated moment of the town celebrations of Tijarafe, La Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, takes place on this square, on the 8th of September late at night. The event we are talking about is, of course, the Danza del Diablo, the dance of the devil, which was celebrated for the first time in 1923. As its name indicates, the protagonist is an evil creature, made of metal, which spouts fireworks in all directions. The arrival of the devil on the square is announced by the so-called Gigantes and Cabezudos (giants and big heads), which are large puppets that interrupt without warning the people who are dancing on the square. After about twenty minutes of pyrotechnic frenzy, the interruption ends with the explosion of the devil’s head, which is a symbolic representation of the victory of good over evil. In 2007, this peculiar celebration was placed under official protection as Bien de Interés Cultural, and in 2011 it was declared Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Canarias, a Canary Islands celebration of tourist interest.
