From 6 to 9 October, Gandia’s passeig de les Germanies fills with marzipan fruit, piuletes and tronadors for the 13th Mocadorà, the display and sale with which the town’s pastry cooks and bakers celebrate Sant Donís, the Valencian day of lovers.
Contents
It is organised by the Associació de Pastissers i Forners de Gandia together with Gandia Town Council, and includes charity workshops for children and an afternoon in the Grau. It is a good opportunity to discover one of the sweetest customs of the 9 d’Octubre and to take home a mocadorà made by local pastry cooks.
What is the mocadorà?
Every 9 October, the feast of Sant Donís (Saint Denis), it is a tradition across the Valencia region to give your partner a knotted handkerchief, the mocador, wrapped around small pieces of marzipan. Colourful fruit and vegetables made of raw marzipan surround two larger figures of baked marzipan: the piuleta and the tronador. Because of this custom, many Valencians regard 9 October as their own Valentine’s Day.
From firecracker to marzipan: the origins of the tradition
On 9 October 1238 Jaume I entered the city of València, and the date, which falls on Sant Donís, eventually became a festival. For centuries it was celebrated with plenty of noise: on the eve and throughout the day, rockets and firecrackers were set off, among them the piuletes and the tronadors. After the War of the Spanish Succession, the Nueva Planta decrees of the 18th century banned the commemoration of the king’s entry.
The most widespread explanation is that Valencian confectioners responded by shaping the forbidden firecrackers in marzipan. From the very beginning the sweets were given wrapped in a handkerchief, and over time the handkerchief gave its name to the custom. The fruit and vegetables have a romantic legend of their own: they are said to represent the produce of the huerta offered to Jaume I and Queen Violant d’Hongria after the conquest. If you are curious about the conqueror king’s mark on the area, we look at the links between Jaume I and Gandia, from Bairén Castle to the medieval town.
Sales hours on the passeig de les Germanies
The stalls are set up on the passeig de les Germanies, in front of the Casa de la Marquesa, right in the town centre. Sales hours are as follows:
- Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October: 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00.
- Friday 9 October: 10:00 to 15:00, without a break.
Children’s marzipan workshops for a good cause
On 6 and 7 October, from 17:30 to 20:00, the same space hosts hands-on workshops for children. Guided by the pastry cooks, youngsters shape and paint their own marzipan fruit and whistles, and take the results home. Taking part costs a donation of €2, which goes in full to Gandia’s Preventori, and no booking is needed.
A mocadorà afternoon in the Grau
On Thursday 8 October, from 17:30 to 20:00, the Mocadorà also moves to the plaça de la Marina in the Grau de Gandia, with activities designed for families. It is a convenient way to enjoy the tradition if you are staying near the port or the beach.
Practical information for your visit
- Where: passeig de les Germanies, in front of the Casa de la Marquesa (6 to 9 October), and plaça de la Marina in the Grau (afternoon of the 8th).
- Workshops: 6 and 7 October, 17:30 to 20:00; €2 donation to the Preventori.
- Organisers: Associació de Pastissers i Forners de Gandia and Gandia Town Council.
And if the mocadorà whets your appetite, carry on exploring the cooking of La Safor with the story of Gandia’s fideuà, the town’s seafaring dish.